Raiders make Kirk Cousins decision after Klint Kubiak comments related to Fernando Mendoza

While speaking with reporters at the NFL's annual meetings this week, first-year Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak indicated that he is not eager to name a rookie quarterback the team's Week 1 starter. 

On Wednesday, Indiana Hoosiers star and presumed No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza suggested he was preparing to serve as the Raiders' QB1 throughout the upcoming campaign. It sounds like Mendoza will enter September as a backup on the Las Vegas roster. 

Raiders make Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza decision

As shared by ESPN and Nick Shook of the NFL's website, the agent for former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins confirmed on Thursday that the 37-year-old is signing with the Raiders. Cousins will almost certainly begin the 2026 season atop Vegas' depth chart unless he goes down with an injury or looks well past his prime during summer training-camp practices. Terms of Cousins' deal with the Raiders were not immediately available.

Most recently, Cousins went 5-2 and recorded 10 touchdown passes with five interceptions over the final seven weeks of Atlanta's 2025 season as the first-choice option while Michael Penix Jr. recovered from surgery he needed to repair a partially torn ACL. Some had wondered if Cousins was waiting to hear from the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it appears that future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers will soon re-sign with the Steelers. 

Why Raiders likely wanted to pair Fernando Mendoza with Kirk Cousins

Kubiak revealed this week that he and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady have spoken on a weekly (or sometimes daily) basis during the offseason. In the past, Brady has made it known that he thinks quarterbacks should spend at least portions of their rookie seasons learning about life in the NFL as backups. 

While the situation involving Penix and Cousins was awkward at times, the veteran reportedly was a positive mentor for the 2024 first-round draft pick when they were teammates. Cousins now will be tasked with trying to help the 2026 Raiders win games following the club's failed Maxx Crosby trade, and with helping Mendoza become the franchise savior those within the organization hope he'll be.