Considering the numerous reports that surfaced leading up to Thursday’s preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Houston Texans, it was somewhat surprising that first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak declined to name veteran Kirk Cousins the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback over rookie Fernando Mendoza following Las Vegas’ 22-20 win.
While speaking with media members on Friday, Kubiak expanded on that decision.
Klint Kubiak wants Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza to feel “uneasiness”
“I just don’t think it ever benefits a player to know that they have a spot secured,” Kubiak said, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “If there’s always a little bit of uneasiness about that, that benefits the whole team — the player and the team.”
Those comments indicate Kubiak may know the identity of his Week 1 starter. Cousins didn’t play against the Texans, and Mendoza’s first drive of the evening ended with an ugly pick-six. In total, Mendoza completed 8 of 15 pass attempts for 86 yards and the previously mentioned interception.
Assuming Cousins is named the starter for Las Vegas’ Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13, he will receive first-team reps during midweek practices. Understandably, that could impact how Mendoza does and/or doesn’t develop until the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft is handed the keys to the team’s offense.
“We have experience as coaches on developing guys when they’re not starting a game, if they don’t start a game,” Kubiak explained. “So, it’s [arriving] early, leaving late. It’s using some technological tools at your disposal. But it’s really a lot of [quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan] spending some early mornings and long nights with Fernando and [backup Aiden O’Connell]. And then you can build in young-guy reps into your practices. There’s things you can do. It’s never as good as getting all the reps in practice, but you do the best you can with what you’ve got.”
What Klint Kubiak liked about how Fernando Mendoza played against Texans
Shortly after Thursday’s game wrapped up, Mendoza admitted that he did not make “a good throw” on the ball that was intercepted and returned for a score. He also acknowledged that “there’s a lot more learning to do” regarding his overall growth as a pro quarterback.
That said, Kubiak suggested on Friday that a review of the game film showed Mendoza did plenty of good things at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
“I really liked what he did on third down,” Kubiak added about Mendoza during his comments. “We were only 1-of-5 on third down in the first half. However, we did drop the ball twice, and we threw one short of the sticks on third-and-long. He had really good ball placement on the first third down of the game, with a guy in his face. So, on the critical downs, I thought he was playing his best. There are things that we must get corrected that will be addressed ASAP.”
It remains to be seen if Kubiak will name his Week 1 QB1 before the Raiders’ preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 27. In some instances, coaches like to use the final game of the preseason as a “dress rehearsal” for Week 1.