Raiders officially name Kirk Cousins their starting quarterback
Cousins will officially begin the season as Las Vegas' QB1 over rookie Fernando Mendoza.
On Wednesday, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak officially named Kirk Cousins as the team's starting quarterback. Kubiak made the announcement during a press conference, stating that Cousins would be the QB1. The coach also revealed that Cousins did not take part in Wednesday's practice as it was a rest day for him. The Raiders had been hinting at this decision all offseason, emphasizing their plan to allow No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza to develop and gain experience before playing.
Cousins' day off allowed Mendoza to gain valuable first-team reps, according to Kubiak. He praised Cousins for his work, saying, "He’s played really good football. I’m really happy with all three of our quarterbacks. Kirk’s had a really good offseason, really good camp. And he’s earned it." Kubiak also noted that the competition among the quarterbacks made each player better, improving the overall roster. The Raiders are set to kick off their 2026 season against the Dolphins on September 13.
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