The Las Vegas Raiders have decided to have veteran Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback for the preseason instead of Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
As it turns out, Raiders minority owner and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady had a big say in that decision, according to a report from Adam Schefter.
Schefter also mentioned that it “looks like” Cousins will start in Week 1 of the regular season in September.
“Tom Brady knew that he wanted a veteran to start the season to take the pressure off Fernando Mendoza,” Schefter said. “Kirk Cousins will be the starter. It will be him, it looks like, on Opening Day.”
"Tom Brady knew that he wanted a veteran to start the season to take the pressure off Fernando Mendoza."@AdamSchefter explains why Kirk Cousins will open training camp as the Raiders starting QB ✍️ pic.twitter.com/bD6NDlvP9W
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 28, 2026
The Raiders gave Cousins a fully guaranteed deal after he was released from the Atlanta Falcons, and the expectation all along was that he would start as the QB1 while Mendoza learns the ropes of the NFL.
The Raiders have a new head coach in place with Klint Kubiak, and they are trying to be patient instead of throwing Mendoza into a brand-new system.
Las Vegas begins the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals on August 13. The first game of the regular season for the Raiders is on September 13 against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.
