The Raiders naming Kirk Cousins their starting quarterback to open the 2026 season was hardly a surprise.
While Las Vegas had been projected to draft Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall for months, the team’s brass had said publicly that its preference was for a rookie quarterback to sit and learn behind a veteran.
But now that it’s official, Mendoza has become a member of a rare group of quarterbacks from recent years.
Mendoza is the first quarterback since Baker Mayfield in 2018 not to start Week 1 after being selected at No. 1 overall.
Mayfield’s situation was not particularly unusual at the time, as Jared Goff had been through the same thing in 2016.
But since then, Kyler Murray (2019), Joe Burrow (2020), Trevor Lawrence (2021), Bryce Young (2023), Caleb Williams (2024), and Cam Ward (2025) have all been their respective club’s Week 1 starter after being selected at No. 1 overall.
Since Matthew Stafford was selected at No. 1 overall in 2009, only Goff, Mayfield, and Mendoza have started the season as QB2. Sam Bradford (2010), Cam Newton (2011), Andrew Luck (2012), and Jameis Winston (2015) all started the season opener.
Mayfield made it into a game by Week 3, taking over for an injured Tyrod Taylor to lead the Browns to their first victory since 2016 with a 21-17 victory over the Jets. He took over as Cleveland’s starter the following week.
It took longer for Goff to ascend to QB1 for the Rams in 2016, as he began his tenure as Los Angeles’ starter in Week 11 with a 14-10 loss to Miami.
Mendoza’s development will remain a priority for the Raiders, even as he won’t receive starters’ reps in the regular season.
“Early work, late work. More meetings,” Kubiak said on Wednesday. “Plenty of time on the field between drills with [QBs] coach [Mike] Sullivan and [offensive coordinator] coach [Andrew] Janocko. Every player that is not starting the first game, that is helping us on the look team, we’re just trying to find every edge we can find to continue to get him better and his teammates better.”
Aside from those selected at No. 1 overall, there are plenty of QBs who haven’t started early and ended up being successful.
“I think there are so many examples both ways,” Kubiak said. “I think the most important thing with the quarterback room or any other position is to build competition within the room. That makes players so much better faster than coaching, when they have a guy in front of them that they can look up to and see how something’s done — that’s going to accelerate their growth.”
We’ll see when Mendoza becomes Las Vegas’ starter. If Cousins plays well and the Raiders are winning, that might not be until 2027. But history suggests Mendoza will be on the field sooner or later as a rookie.
Raiders Clips
Raiders rookie defensive end Keyron Crawford was placed on injured reserve during the cut to 53 players last weekend and head coach Klint Kubiak updated the nature of his injury on Wednesday.
Crawford was not given the designation to return when he went on injured reserve and Kubiak revealed that is because he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Crawford was injured in Las Vegas’s final preseason game.
Crawford was a third-round pick for the Raiders in the spring after playing at Arkansas State and Auburn during his college days.
Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Kwity Paye, and Patrick Johnson are the defensive ends on the Raiders’ active roster heading into Week 1.
While the Raiders have characterized Ashton Jeanty as “on the mend” with his ankle injury, head coach Klint Kubiak provided a little more information on the running back in his Wednesday press conference.
Though Jeanty did not practice on Wednesday, Kubiak replied “yes” when asked if he’s optimistic about Jeanty being available to play in the season opener.
“He’s continuing to improve,” Kubiak said. “You guys saw him out there yesterday. He’s still on the mend.”
Jeanty suffered an ankle injury during practice on Aug. 23. While the injury initially appeared like it could keep Jeanty out for an extended period, he was subsequently diagnosed with a sprained ankle.
The No. 6 overall pick of the 2025 draft, Jeanty registered 1,321 yards from scrimmage with 10 total touchdowns as a rookie.
The Raiders will play the Dolphins to open their season on Sept. 13.
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak didn’t delay naming a QB1 any longer when he walked to the podium for his Wednesday press conference.
“Kirk’s going to be the starting quarterback,” Kubiak said to begin his media session.
Kubiak added that Cousins did not participate in Wednesday’s practice as a rest day.
The Raiders had telegraphed that move throughout the offseason, with the team’s brass repeatedly saying that the idea was to let No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza grow and learn before seeing the field.
To that end, Cousins’ rest day was an opportunity for Mendoza to get reps with the first-team offense.
“Live reps are the best medicine, so that was very helpful for him,” Kubiak said.
While it may seem like Cousins became the starter by default, Kubiak noted how impressed he’s been with the veteran quarterback’s work.
“He’s played really good football,” Kubiak said. “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.
“I think [competition] made Kirk better, it made Aiden [O’Connell] better, it made Fernando better. That’s the nature of the position — it’s the most competitive position in the free world. And those guys all improved the roster through their play this offseason.”
The Raiders will open the 2026 season against the Dolphins on Sept. 13.
Two key Raiders are not participating in Wednesday’s practice.
According to multiple reporters on the scene, quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Ashton Jeanty are among those sidelined in the day’s session.
While Jeanty is dealing with an ankle injury, the reason for Cousins’ absence is unknown. The quarterback did appear on the field before the end of the media’s viewing window in a red jersey and a hat, which could be an indication that he’s receiving a rest day.
Head coach Klint Kubiak is expected to address the media after practice.
With Cousins not participating, rookie Fernando Mendoza handled the QB duties for the first-team offense. Mendoza is expected to receive much fewer reps with the regular season beginning, so this could be a chance for him to further his development before the team dives deeper into preparing to play the Dolphins on Sept. 13.
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak hasn’t made it official, but all indications have been throughout the offseason and training camp that Kirk Cousins will open the season as starting quarterback — despite the club drafting Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall.
Mendoza flashed his potential in the preseason, though the performance was ultimately up and down.
On Tuesday, General Manager John Spytek noted that Mendoza has been the same kind of guy they got to know during the pre-draft process, so it’s not like the team has been surprised at the way the quarterback has gone about his business.
“He’s a tireless worker. He loves football. He loves his teammates. He’s energetic on the field. He’s self-critical. He’s self-aware. He’s very accurate,” Spytek said, via transcript from the team. “His time is coming, but he’s got to earn it every day, and he knows that. I think we’re all very pleased with the person and his work ethic and his commitment to being a great quarterback.”
While the team wants to make sure Mendoza is ready before putting him on the field, Spytek cited several different quarterbacks to note that there’s more than one way to develop a young QB.
“Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels. Like you said, there’s success stories and failures in both ways,” Spytek said. “We’re just trying to build the best team we can and play the guys that are most ready to play, and have a constant competition in every room, not just the quarterback room, but every room.
“The expectation always will be that the best person, the person that’s earned it, the person that can do their job for the team, will be the one that plays.”
Mendoza completes 25-of-45 passes for 240 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the preseason.
The Raiders will open the season at home against the Dolphins on Sept. 13.
Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty was not seen at Tuesday’s practice as he works his way back from a sprained ankle. The Raiders have not offered specifics about Jeanty’s injury since he sprained his ankle in an Aug. 23 practice.
Head coach Klint Kubiak has said the Raiders are “counting on” Jeanty to play in Week 1.
But General Manager John Spytek did not make any promises Tuesday.
“I think he’s in a good spot,” Spytek said, via video from the team. “We see him every day. He’s working really hard. He’s on the mend, as Klint said. I think that’s one of the things we all like and respect about Ashton is just the maturity he has and the spirit that he has, that it’s hard to knock him down, and I think he attacks everything with a great mindset. And I don’t think that this will be any different for him. I expect him to be back as quick as he can, maybe quicker than some people would expect. When that is, we’ll see. But I think he’s in a good spot, and I think he’ll be ready to go when we get him back out there.”
Jeanty, the sixth overall pick in 2025, played all 17 games last season and totaled 975 yards and five touchdowns on 266 carries.
The Raiders drafted running back Mike Washington in the fourth round, and he rushed for 168 yards on 23 carries in the preseason.
The Saints claimed cornerback Decamerion Richardson off waivers, according to the NFL’s personnel notice.
Richardson, 25, was waived by the Raiders on Monday.
The Raiders drafted him in the fourth round in 2024. He started seven games as a rookie but barely got on the field on defense in 2025, playing only 13 snaps.
Richardson did play 204 special teams snaps last season.
He has 57 tackles and three passes defensed in his career.
The Raiders had the top waiver priority over the weekend and used it to pick up cornerback Darrell Luter.
It turns out they were far from the only team interested in the former 49er.
Per Field Yates of ESPN, the Titans, Dolphins, Cowboys, and Colts also put in a claim for Luter. But because the Raiders were first in line, they were the team to get him.
Yates notes no other player had more than two teams put in a claim for him.
A fifth-round pick in 2023, Luter has appeared in 27 games with three starts over the last three seasons. In 2025, he appeared in all 17 games with three starts, recording 28 total tackles with one pass defensed and one fumble recovery.
Two years after drafting him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Raiders are saying goodbye to Decamerion Richardson.
Richardson, a cornerback who started seven games as a rookie but barely got on the field on defense in 2025, was waived today.
The Raiders needed to make a roster move after claiming cornerback Darrell Luter on waivers, and Richardson was the odd man out.
The 25-year-old Richardson was mostly a special teams player last year, and some team that wants a special teams contributor who can add depth in the secondary might claim him on waivers. If not, Richardson would likely be brought back on the practice squad.
