As it became inevitable that the Las Vegas Raiders would take Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, head coach Klint Kubiak made it clear that it was not his preference to have a rookie quarterback start immediately.
Reasonable minds can differ on the idea that Mendoza should play right away. But if he earns it, he will start in Week 1. Kirk Cousins is about as ideal a veteran mentor for a rookie as there can be, especially when paired with the idea that he can perform capably in Kubiak's offense if he has to play.
In some ways, based on their playing styles and the general way they carry themselves, Mendoza can be seen as a younger version of Cousins. The rookie can hope to have a long career like Cousins has had, paired with the robust bank account, albeit with more playoff success.
Supposed obstacle for Fernando Mendoza is anything but an impediment
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report has named the main obstacle for each NFL starting quarterback in 2026. While a rookie quarterback could have any of a number of obstacles stand out as the biggest, Gagnon went with Cousins for Mendoza.
"Super literal here," Gagnon wrote. "Mendoza may not even be the starter, which makes Cousins his biggest obstacle. But we're listing him rather than Cousins because the No. 1 overall pick is obviously the long-term dude. Conversely for Cousins, Mendoza is obviously the biggest obstacle."Â
If there were any signs of a contentious relationship between the Raiders' top two quarterbacks, aas appears to exist in Minnesota between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray (from McCarthy's end, at least), Cousins as a real obstacle for Mendoza would be a bigger conversation.
But Cousins is committed to helping Mendoza, as he has said multiple times, and Mendoza is receptive to what he can learn from a veteran who has seen or experienced just about everything an NFL quarterback can in a unique way.
The relationship appears to be strong already, possibly predating Mendoza officially became a Raider in above-board ways, and the demeanor of both guys says there will not be any animosity to navigate.
In the sheer sense of "if one guy is starting, the other isn't." Cousins and Mendoza are easy to see as the No. 1 obstacle for each other this season. But it doesn't take much digging to see the relationship between the two isn't like that, and Cousins' presence is only a good thing for Mendoza.
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