Kirk Cousins deals Fernando Mendoza a dose of reality with strong stance on Raiders starting job

Las Vegas Raiders fans have been patiently waiting for their franchise quarterback.

That moment seemingly came when they selected an emotional Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he became Tom Brady’s $57m bet for an 8th Super Bowl ring.

Getty

However, three weeks before, the Raiders signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a two-year deal to seemingly mentor the Indiana product and mitigate the risk of throwing a rookie in at the deep end right from the very off.

It has already been confirmed that Cousins will be the Raiders’ Week 1 starter, a role he will not happily relinquish whenever new head coach Klint Kubiak deems Mendoza ready.

In fact, Cousins plans to hold onto the position for as long as he can.

“I think the organization is positioned well having drafted Fernando Mendoza,” Cousins recently told ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

NFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!

talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!

2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.

SIGN UP HERE!

This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.

Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.

“I’m gonna try to hold him off as long as I can, and we’ll see how it goes up ahead.“

Cousins had previously indicated that he was not comfortable with the mentor label, a sentiment he recently reiterated.

“You can do both. We’re all helping each other, and you kind of compete with each other, I would say more than against. So it should be a good year,” Cousins added.

2026 will be Cousins’ 14th season in the NFL. His most recent franchise, the Atlanta Falcons, released him at the start of the offseason.

Cousins endured a tumultuous time in Atlanta, with the Falcons immediately blindsiding him when they drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. just six weeks after signing him to a four-year, $180 million contract.

Serving as the backup to the younger signal caller in 2025, Cousins re-entered the starting lineup after Penix Jr. suffered a torn ACL in Week 11.

Cousins would throw for 1,721 yards and 10 touchdowns to five interceptions, going 5-3.

Getty

Getty

Waiting could be the right thing for Mendoza

Raiders fans have been vocal about who they want to see starting under center, and would seemingly rather not waste time with Cousins, who has looked decidedly old in training camp.

They had been warned, however, with Kubiak and Raiders general manager John Spytek insisting they were not uncomfortable throwing a rookie straight into the fire.

Getty

Of course, there is no proven formula to follow when it comes to starting or sitting rookie quarterbacks.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Houston Texans hurler C.J. Stroud both flew out of blocks in their rookie seasons, but dropped off dramatically in more recent years.

Patrick Mahomes, now considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, didn’t play a snap until Week 17 in his first season.

Ultimately for the Raiders, who have cycled through quarterbacks, patience might prove to be the right answer.