Raiders reportedly in no rush to bench Kirk Cousins for Fernando Mendoza despite four consecutive losses

A Tuesday report suggested that first-year Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak choosing to keep veteran Kirk Cousins as the club's starting quarterback over rookie Fernando Mendoza is not related to any questions "about Mendoza’s readiness" to run an NFL offense. 

Instead, Kubiak seems to believe Cousins still gives the 3-4 Raiders the best chance to stay "in the hunt" for a playoff berth. It sounds like Mendoza may not get a regular-season start anytime soon as long as Cousins stays healthy.

This is "the earliest" the Raiders would bench Kirk Cousins for Fernando Mendoza?

"The Raiders did not have any serious discussions this week about sitting veteran starting QB Kirk Cousins for rookie Fernando Mendoza, whom they think is coming along very well but still isn't as ready as they'd like him to be when they make him their starter," ESPN's Dan Graziano shared for an article updated on Wednesday morning. "The plan all along has been to sit Mendoza as long as possible, and I personally would be surprised to see him start any of the Raiders' next five games at least. They have a bye in Week 13, and I think after that is the earliest they'd start to seriously consider it. Remember, this isn't just a Klint Kubiak decision. The entire organization, including their very active part-owner Tom Brady, is invested in making sure Mendoza is a success, and Brady has been vocal about his belief that rookie quarterbacks need to develop from the sideline."

It was reported this past summer that Brady, the alleged "de facto boss when it comes to football matters" for the Raiders, was "the voice in the building that is the strongest in terms of" sitting Mendoza for much of the 2026 season. Graziano's update would lead one to believe that Brady will get his way through at least the Raiders' Week 13 bye.

Following that break, the Raiders will host a Los Angeles Chargers team that could sell multiple pieces before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. The Chargers entered their Week 7 bye at 0-6 and could soon embrace a franchise reset. Meanwhile, Cousins will start when a Raiders side that has lost four in a row plays at the 2-5 New York Jets this coming Sunday afternoon.

What the Raiders want to do before making the switch from Kirk Cousins to Fernando Mendoza

The previously mentioned Tuesday report claimed that the Raiders want "to create the right environment" before naming Mendoza their full-time QB1. Graziano addressed how Las Vegas hopes to achieve that goal before the bye.

"They'd like to get their anemic running game going, as only the Packers (59.9) are averaging fewer rushing yards per game (74.7)," Graziano added about the Raiders. "And they need to be better up front in the middle of their defense to keep other teams from putting games away in second halves. At 3-4, the Raiders are a game and a half out of an AFC playoff spot at this point ahead of this week's cross-country trip to play the struggling Jets. They aren't ready to give up on their season. And while swapping Mendoza in for Cousins may not constitute a give-up per se, the point here is for the situation to be as good around Mendoza as possible once they make that move. They don't believe they're there yet."

Whether or not the Raiders can get there before they host the Chargers on Dec. 13 shall be seen.