Raiders’ Mendoza vs. Cousins Timeline | Las Vegas Raiders News

The Raiders stunned the NFL by drafting Fernando Mendoza first overall, a champion from Indiana with serious hype—but they also signed Kirk Cousins to a massive $172M deal (only $20M guaranteed), setting up a clear bridge QB role. Head coach Klint Kubiak insists Mendoza needs time to develop, possibly even redshirting the season like Mahomes and Jackson did. Cousins is likely Week 1 starter, with potential debut spots at Week 8 vs. Jets or Week 14 vs. Chargers post-bye, or maybe even the final three games if the team’s playoff hopes fade. The Raiders are patient—they’ve bet big on Mendoza’s future, but they’re smart enough to wait for his moment. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f32a10121af3e0f2