Raiders eye rookie Fernando Mendoza with Kirk Cousins as backup

The Las Vegas Raiders plan to build their offense around rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the 2026 NFL Draft top pick and Heisman Trophy winner. Veteran Kirk Cousins is positioned as an insurance policy should Mendoza need additional development time, with the expectation that Cousins could regain his pre‑Achilles form to give the team a competitive edge.

Analysts also evaluated the Raiders' upcoming quarterback match‑ups, highlighting the strengths of opponents such as Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams), Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills) and Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), among others.