Although the Las Vegas Raiders remain confident in Fernando Mendoza as he begins his NFL career, Klint Kubiak has ultimately chosen Kirk Cousins to start against the Miami Dolphins. The head coach made it clear that Cousins had a strong preseason, earning him the starting job.
“He played really good football. I’m really happy with all three of our quarterbacks. Kirk’s had a really good offseason, very good camp and he’s earned it,” the HC revealed per ESPN‘s Adam Schefter.
Aidan O’Connell is the other quarterback on the Raiders’ depth chart, although he is expected to have fewer opportunities to see the field throughout the season. Ultimately, Cousins’ experience prevailed over the other options as he prepares to lead the team into another campaign.
Cousins brings plenty of NFL experience
Kirk Cousins is officially rolling into his 15th NFL season, continuing one of the most durable and steady under-center runs in modern football. Drafted in 2012 by Washington Redskins as a fourth-round backup to Robert Griffin III, Cousins took over starting duties in 2015 and never looked back, eventually carving out major multi-year chapters with Washington, Minnesota Vikings, and Atlanta Falcons.
Kirk Cousins #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders warms up before a preseason game.
While playoff success has been elusive, his biggest claim to fame remains his remarkable consistency and high-level individual efficiency: he’s a 4-time Pro Bowler who surpassed 44,000 career passing yards and nearly 300 passing touchdowns, earning a reputation as one of the ultimate intermediate-to-deep pocket passers and highest-earning players in league history.
A tough start to the season for Las Vegas
The Raiders are looking at a crucial opening stretch to kick off their 2026 campaign. They open up at home at Allegiant Stadium against the Dolphins in Week 1 before hitting the road for back-to-back road tests against the divisional-rival Los Angeles Chargers and a trip to the Superdome to face the New Orleans Saints.
The schedule doesn’t ease up from there, as they head back to Vegas for a massive AFC West showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, followed by a tricky Week 5 trip east to take on the New England Patriots.
