Raiders Keep QB1 a Secret, But Cousins Still Holds the Edge Over Mendoza
Klint Kubiak won't officially name a starter, yet Kirk Cousins has topped the depth chart since July 28 with Week 1 vs. Miami two weeks out.
Likely Week 1 starter, but low ceiling makes him a bye-week streamer at best.
- Cousins ran first-team offense all camp, QB1 since July 28
- Preseason finale: Cousins 8/11, 51 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT
- Mendoza 7/14, 57 yds, INT, 2 sacks vs. 49ers
- Raiders open Sept. 13 at home vs. Dolphins
- Cousins: 104 PPR pts in 10 games last season (2025)
The Raiders still won't say who's under center Week 1, but the smoke is pointing in one direction. With the season opener against Miami on Sept. 13 now just over two weeks away, head coach Klint Kubiak has refused to officially crown a QB1 — even as veteran Kirk Cousins keeps doing everything to hold off first-overall rookie Fernando Mendoza.
The numbers from Thursday's 18-12 preseason loss to San Francisco tell the story. Cousins went 8 of 11 for 51 yards with no scores and no picks over the first two drives. Mendoza took over and finished 7 of 14 for 57 yards with an interception and two sacks — a step back from his debut against Arizona (10 of 16, 97 yards, a touchdown). When the veteran hasn't dazzled, the rookie hasn't punished him for it.
Kubiak was candid about the timeline working against Mendoza. He said the rookie could use another three preseason games, but the NFL's shortened schedule only offers three total — and now that the regular season looms, practice reps shrink too. Kubiak framed this stretch as valuable for Mendoza to learn both from his own snaps and from watching Cousins operate the first-team offense.
The Depth Chart Doesn't Lie
Kubiak called it Cousins' job to lose back at the start of preseason, and nothing since has changed that. He named Cousins the starter outright on July 28, then went quiet on the subject. But the veteran has led the ones through camp and has topped the depth chart at every turn. Mendoza flashed at points, but a pick-six during joint practice with Houston is the kind of lowlight that keeps a rookie holding a clipboard.
The Fantasy Fallout
Even if Cousins wins the job, temper the excitement. He sits at No. 189 overall and QB38 in our rankings, coming off a modest 104 PPR points in 10 games last season (2025) with 10 touchdowns and 5 picks. The one bright spot: his last five games ran +3.1 fantasy points above his season average, so he's trending up. Aidan O'Connell remains the clear No. 3 and off the fantasy radar entirely.
For fantasy managers, this is a watch situation, not a draft-day priority. Cousins is a streamer at best in one-QB leagues and a fine late-round dart in Superflex if you need a bridge. Keep Mendoza stashed in dynasty formats — the moment Vegas turns to the rookie, his upside dwarfs anything Cousins offers. But for now, don't burn a bench spot chasing a QB who hasn't even been named the starter.
