The NFL Preseason Week 3 is around us which means it’s time to wrap it up as only a couple of weeks await for the start of the 2026 regular season. Hence, teams might be cautious as to who they send to the field. Therefore, doubts over who will be under center for both the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers are up in the air.
For the Raiders, Kirk Cousins has played exactly one drive all preseason, with Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O’Connell taking the workload. That might happen again vs. 49ers, and maybe even Jacob Clark could see some snaps.
As for the 49ers, Brock Purdy played the first drive last week, and he might do the same tonight vs Raiders. However, with stars like George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and Christian Kirk all banged up, head coach Kyle Shanahan might limit his QB to not risk an injury.
Purdy and Mendoza face two very different situations
Purdy is undoubtedly the 49ers starting quarterback. However, he does have a premium backup in Mac Jones. In fact, Jones was very good last season when Purdy was injured. Still, Purdy doesn’t want to feel added pressure and should not try to risk himself much.
As for Mendoza, he is in the middle of a fight with Kirk Cousins over the Raiders’ QB1 spot. He is apparently losing that battle, but strong showings paired with Cousins form could perfectly give him a chance to leapfrog the veteran at any point in the season.
NFL Preseason Week 3 means a lot for some players
While some, like star QBs or even star players elsewhere, see the last preseason game as the last hurdle to avoid injuries, others see this game as the last chance to earn a spot on the 53-man final roster.
Late-round picks, undrafted free agents, veterans on a minimum contract and practice squad players all seek a spot to remain on the team, so the intensity is quite high for some players in these games.
