Raiders could make stunning Fernando Mendoza Week 1 move

A Monday report revealed that "all signs point to" veteran Kirk Cousins being the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 1 starting quarterback over 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza.

On Tuesday, NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN shared more information about why first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak doesn't seem to be in a hurry to play Mendoza against live defenses in meaningful games. 

Will Fernando Mendoza enter his rookie season as the Raiders' QB3? 

"The Raiders do not have a strong roster," Graziano explained. "They have significant issues to address with their wide receiver corps, offensive line and several positions on defense. They don't want to play Mendoza yet, not because they don't think he's ready, but because they don't think they're ready for him. They want the group around Mendoza to put him in the best possible position to succeed, and they recognize they might need at least one more offseason in order to produce that. If they stay true to their word, even if Cousins were to get injured early in the season, they'd probably rather play Aidan O'Connell over Mendoza."

Mendoza served as the Raiders' third-choice option behind Cousins and O’Connell during portions of springtime workouts open to media members. While O’Connell has never taken an in-game snap in Kubiak's offense, the 27-year-old has been with the Raiders since 2023 and, thus, has experience playing with teammates who haven't yet caught a pass thrown by Mendoza during a game. 

How Tom Brady may be impacting Raiders' Fernando Mendoza, Kirk Cousins plan

NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US mentioned that "league sources continue to indicate that...Cousins is in the lead to start for the team in Week 1, and they do not anticipate a heavy push for first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza to take over for the opening game." 

La Canfora spoke with one person who allegedly knows what Raiders minority owner Tom Brady thinks about the team's current quarterback situation. 

"Brady is definitely personally invested in this draft pick succeeding where so many young quarterbacks have failed with the Raiders," La Canfora added, "and he believes...that there is much Mendoza could gain by not necessarily having to take every rep starting Week 1."

La Canfora's update isn't surprising, as Brady said back in the summer of 2024 that he felt it's "a tragedy that we’re forcing these rookies to play early." That said, it sounds like O'Connell and not Mendoza could be Cousins' primary backup for the Raiders' Week 1 home game versus the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13.