Is the Raiders Quarterback Battle Already Over?

Aug 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws during the third quarter of a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Brytus-Imagn Images

Is the Raiders Quarterback Battle Already Over?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Tyler Bischoff | Last updated Aug 15, 2026 9:04 AM ET

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Klint Kubiak has not declared that Kirk Cousins will start in Week 1, but he has come very close. After the Raiders lost to the Cardinals on Thursday, Kubiak said of Cousins, “It’s his job to lose.”

So far the Raiders have not given Fernando Mendoza much of a chance to take the job away from Cousins. Mendoza didn’t get any snaps with the starting offense in the preseason opener. Plus the only time he has taken first-team snaps in practice was after Cousins was suspended for fighting Maxx Crosby.

The Raiders have shown no interest in giving Mendoza a chance to prove he is better than Cousins.

Las Vegas has two more preseason games before Week 1 rolls around, so there is still plenty of time for Mendoza to get snaps with the offensive starters. But when Kubiak was asked if their current plan could change, he deflected.

“That is something that we are talking about as a coaching staff,” Kubiak said. “Whether it is Aidan O’Connell, Kirk (Cousins), or Fernando (Mendoza). I would say all three of those guys deserve first-team reps.”

Everyone knows O’Connell is not in competition for the starting job. If he was a capable starter, the Raiders never would have signed Cousins, as O’Connell would have been the placeholder while Mendoza developed.

But Kubiak felt the need to throw the third-string quarterback into an answer about Mendoza taking first-team reps to not actually answer the question. He also deflected a similar question when asked if Mendoza would play with the starters in the preseason game.

“Could happen that way. Again, our starters are going to play. So, he could get some reps with a few of those guys. But I just don’t want to talk about how we’re going to play those guys," Kubiak said.

Mendoza did not play with the starters. So it stands to reason that as long as Kubiak avoids directly answering questions about Mendoza’s usage, there won’t be any changes to the current setup.

Which all but guarantees Cousins is the starting quarterback.

Mendoza wasn’t overwhelmed

Mendoza made his preseason debut after the starters exited the game. He led four drives, putting up 97 passing yards on 10 of 16 passing. After watching the film, Kubiak was impressed with Mendoza’s demeanor.

“We put a lot on his plate, and all the quarterbacks’ plates, getting ready for this preseason game,” Kubiak said on Friday. “He went out and executed the way that he does in practice. Some guys, they get to the game and things change on them. It moves fast, and they freak out. He was the opposite. He was very calm. He was getting the calls in. He was seeing coverage well. I like the way that he moved in the pocket, got outside and extended some plays.”

That has been the defining characteristic of Mendoza’s brief time as a professional. He has routinely been praised for showing resiliency after mistakes and for his preparation translating to the field.

Those are two things he will have to continue to work on as the backup quarterback in Las Vegas.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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