Kirk Cousins has finally found a new home. He is headed to Las Vegas to reunite with new Raiders’ head coach Klint Kubiak.
The Raiders are also expected to draft former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick. The two will compete for Las Vegas’ starting quarterback job this offseason. Here is a look at the pros and cons for both players as a potential QB1.
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Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza for Raiders QB1?
Fernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza had a nearly perfect senior season at Indiana. He went undefeated, won a Big Ten title, won the Heisman Trophy, and won the National Championship. Mendoza is now the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick. The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to get back to being a winning franchise, a new era likely led by Mendoza at quarterback and Klint Kubiak as head coach. Fernando Mendoza is an experienced quarterback at the collegiate level with all of the tools to translate to the NFL right away. However, Kubiak has made it clear that he has some reservations about starting a rookie quarterback right off the bat.
Here is what Kubiak said at the league meetings earlier this week:
“I think in a perfect world, he’s watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team. But the situation is, you might have that player, you might not have that veteran to show him the way. So he might come in and have to play immediately. But you’d rather him learn, learn before he gets in the game.”
So, Kubiak has made it clear that, in his mind, rookie quarterbacks are better off watching from the sideline and learning from a veteran quarterback. That is what makes the signing of Kirk Cousins so intriguing. Cousins is an incredibly experienced NFL quarterback who, by all accounts, is a great teammate and person. Cousins just went through a similar process mentoring Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta, so this is a role he is familiar with.
Kirk Cousins
It has been several years now since Kirk Cousins started a full season at quarterback. In 2022, Cousins started all 17 games for Minnesota. However, he got injured in 2023, got benched in favor of Michael Penix Jr. in 2024. He was then was the backup in Atlanta last season. Cousins did come in and start the final seven games after Penix got injured, however. The Michigan State product could very possibly be in for a season like his first one in Atlanta in 2026. He will be competing with a rookie quarterback, while also trying to be a leader and mentor to that rookie. That is a tough spot for a competitor to be in.
Kirk Cousins certainly has the tools to win a few games in the NFL as a starting quarterback. It will help that he has familiarity with Kubiak’s offense, as he played under the coach in Minnesota. Based on Kubiak’s comments on rookie quarterbacks, he wants Kirk Cousins to be the starting quarterback in Week 1. However, it would be a shocker if Cousins ended up starting the whole season.
Last season, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward was the Week 1 starter for Tennessee. However, Tennessee did not have a strong veteran to step in and fill that role for the first few games. This situation could play out more similarly to the 2025 New York Giants, where Russell Wilson started the first three games before rookie Jaxson Dart got called up to the QB1 role.
