Raiders QB Battle: Cousins vs Mendoza | Las Vegas Raiders News

The Raiders officially name Kirk Cousins their Week One starter, sidelining rookie Fernando Mendoza — a move that’s been months in the making. Cousins, 38, is here to mentor Mendoza and bring stability under new head coach Klint Kubiak. His durability remains a question mark, and if the team struggles or he gets injured, Mendoza could step in sooner than expected. Meanwhile, Mendoza’s focus is on reps and development, even outside of practice, with plans to debut when ready — possibly after the December bye. Rumors suggest Aidan O’Connell might start as backup, pushing Mendoza to third-string, marking a rare NFL trend where top draft picks don’t start right away. The real test? How Cousins performs and how quickly Mendoza can be trusted. 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/020cec36f5e2688a