Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders tried their luck and signed the QB-coach duo of Geno Smith and Pete Carroll. But finishing last in the AFC West was not the Raiders’ idea. You can only go up from the bottom, right? So they gambled again and signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins, and then drafted the first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza. The plan was to guide Mendoza under Cousins. But if you ask Raiders legend Tim Brown, everything can still go awry.

“I think Kirk has made a lot of money in the NFL,” Brown said during his recent appearance on The Jim Rome Show. “I think around game 6, 7, 8, he starts to look at that and go, ‘Eh, I think I’m good.’ I just really believe that the way this is gonna work, there’s gonna come a game where Kirk is not gonna play as well, and they’re gonna put this kid in, maybe at the end of the game, and he’s gonna play well, and that’s gonna be the way the stage turns over.

“I don’t think it’s gonna be a day one thing for sure, unless something happens with Kirk, but I think they brought Kirk in so they can ease Fernando into this situation. Right now, he’s running third team. Certainly, by the time we get to Game 1, and we’ll go from there.” 

When the Raiders drafted Mendoza, they already told him that he would not be starting in Week 1. To pad his landing, they brought in Cousins on a big two-year, $12.6 million contract. However, Mendoza is already the second string before the training camp even begins. Considering that Cousins will be 38 by the time the season begins and is already facing trouble adjusting with the team, there are high chances that the reigning NCAA champion takes over the reins before than expected. But Cousins certainly has an upper hand here.

The veteran had played for two years under the Raiders’ new head coach, Klint Kubiak. So, he is already acquainted with this offense. Mendoza, on the other hand, has not played NFL-style offense in college. Then there’s the learning curve. Adjusting to the NFL is not that easy. So, the rookie can watch and learn from the veteran on the field. Even though his 2025 season was not successful, Cousins has proven that he can do good things for his teams.

Last season with Atlanta, Cousins had his worst season in the last ten years. He gained only 1,721 yards for ten touchdowns across ten games. He was the second-string quarterback to Michael Penix Jr., and started only eight games after Penix underwent a season-ending injury. But regardless of his 2025 season, the Raiders needed his seasoned throwing arm.

Finishing with the worst offense in the league meant the Raiders needed a solid offseason to restructure their roster to compete in the AFC West. They signed Cousins on April 6, 2026, after the Atlanta Falcons officially released him on March 11. What’s most important to understand about this decision is that Cousins is going to start only one season and guide Mendoza to adapt to the NFL’s speed, physicality, and style.

Cousins brings 14 seasons of experience, having played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Falcons after being drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2012. He is prepared to play his best this season, and doesn’t seem to think much of the apparent tension between him and Menzoda for starting privileges. 

“You know, year 15 in the league. I am no stranger to how this thing works. You go out there and play the best you can, you help your team the best you can, “ said Kirk Cousins on The Rich Eisen Show on June 24, 2026. “Contribute to our team’s success, and you let the decision get made as they get made.

“But, I expect to be able to help this team win and be out there on the field. You roll with whatever happens. You stay focused on what is going on inside the building, not what is happening outside of the building.”

And Cousins will need to keep his focus in the building, or he could be looking at warming the bench as Mendoza steps up. The Raiders are definitely looking at Mendoza as the long-term future QB hope for the team. Watching Kirk Cousins in practice and in games, running plays, and noting which receivers he throws to will all contribute to the rookie’s understanding of how the Raiders function. Mendoza will learn quickly, no doubt.