Kirk Cousins Named Raiders' QB1 Over Fernando Mendoza for NFL Week 1 vs. Dolphins

Las Vegas Raiders No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza will have to wait a bit before getting his first taste of regular season action in the NFL.

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak announced on Wednesday that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will be the starter over Mendoza for the team's Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13.

Kubiak added that he spoke with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady "multiple times a week" before making the decision.

As ESPN's Adam Schefter pointed out, the Raiders' decision to have Mendoza start the year on the bench snaps a streak of six straight quarterbacks who were named the starter on opening day after being drafted No. 1 overall.

Kubiak addressed how Mendoza's development will be affected by being named Cousins' backup.

"There's always early work, late work, more meetings, plenty of time on the field between drills with Coach [Mike] Sullivan and Coach [Andrew] Janocko. Every player that is not starting the first game, they're helping us on the look team," Kubiak said, per Sam Warren of The Athletic. "We're just trying to find every edge we can find to continue to get him better and his teammates better."

The Raiders signed Cousins to a reported five-year, $172 million contract that, in reality, is a one-year, fully guaranteed $20 million deal. After Las Vegas entered the offseason with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, it was clear that the plan was to have Cousins as the bridge quarterback before handing the reins to Mendoza. The team also has fourth-year backup signal-caller Aidan O'Connell to provide extra insurance.

"He played really good football," Kubiak said of Cousins, per team reporter Levi Edwards . "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 Raiders are not expected to contend for a playoff spot in the competitive AFC this season, so there will likely be a point where they insert Mendoza as the starter to give him some experience in his rookie year. For now, the 22-year-old will focus on learning from Cousins as he leads the way to start the season.