Kirk Cousins is obvious Raiders QB1 over Fernando Mendoza, and that’s OK

There are things Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza can learn from Kirk Cousins. And Cousins isn’t worried about not being named QB1 yet. But Cousins is the obvious choice over Mendoza, and that’s OK.

Cousins said he’s taking things in stride, according to a Raiders post on YouTube.

“I think it’s just up to Coach,” Cousins said. “You do the best you can with the opportunities you’re given. Lead as well as you can. Compete. You’re never a finished product.”

Raiders will lean on Cousins’ experience

It’s pretty obvious that Mendoza isn’t ready to be thrown into the fray. It wouldn’t do the Raiders any good at this point. There’s not a great chance for the Raiders to win football games this year. So that would go against Mendoza’s career mark.

It’s not so much about protecting his win-loss record. But it matters. If he can wait until Week 8 or so, he will have a much better feel for what goes on in the games. And that will give him a better chance to be successful.

In the final preseason game against the Raiders, Mendoza entered the game in relief of Cousins after the veteran played the first two drives. Mendoza saw tons of pressure and didn’t have a great game. He finished with seven completions in 14 attempts for just 51 yards. He also had an interception.

Another reason to keep Mendoza on the sidelines is the offensive line is OK — but not ready to protect a rookie quarterback for four quarters while he learns on the fly. The Raiders aren’t great along the line, but rather average. They are ranked No. 18 in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

“The Raiders made Tyler Linderbaum by far the highest-paid center in football, and he should have a huge impact on their ability to run the football,” Gordon McGuinness wrote. “The former first-round draft pick has earned PFF pass-blocking grades below 65.0 in each of the past two seasons but PFF run-blocking grades above 80.0 in three of his four seasons in the NFL.

“Look for this to be an ascending group in 2026 and one with serious potential to move up these rankings throughout the season.”

Kirk Cousins gives the Raiders a safety net

Cousins has been in every tough situation you can imagine in the NFL. He knows how to survive at the quarterback position even when things are not ideal. The Raiders can lean into that for at least half of the season, if not more.

And who knows? If Cousins leads the Raiders to a 4-4 start, he might stick around as long as they are legitimately in the playoff chase. But that’s unlikely to happen.

Cousins is the placeholder. And actually, he’s a good placeholder. The Raiders did the right thing to bring him. That gives them a chance to move Mendoza into the starting lineup at their own pace. And at Mendoza’s pace. There’s no rush here.

And that’s a good thing for the Raiders and this quarterback situation.

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