Despite having the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and therefore the right to select Indiana star Fernando Mendoza, the Las Vegas Raiders' leadership tandem of John Spytek and Klint Kubiak has been quite clear that they don't necessarily want to throw a young signal-caller to the wolves.
"I think in a perfect world that (a rookie quarterback is) watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team," Kubiak said at the NFL Annual League Meeting. "You don't know (what) the situation is; you might have that player, you might not. You might not have that veteran to show him the way. So, you might come in and have to play immediately. But you'd rather him learn before he gets in the game. You don't always get to pick."
Well, just days later, the Silver and Black gave themselves a choice by signing Kirk Cousins. Now, this certainly muddies the waters for Mendoza starting in Week 1 this coming fall for the Raiders. But Cousins' presence will ultimately be the best thing for Las Vegas' future franchise quarterback.
Las Vegas Raiders signing Kirk Cousins will be great for Fernando Mendoza
Not only is Cousins an experienced signal-caller with plenty of skins on the wall in the NFL, but he is a maestro in this new Las Vegas offense. Cousins is an OG in the system, as he was drafted by Mike Shanahan and first played under offensive coordinators Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan.
Then, he went to the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent three years working with Kubiak and four with now-Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko. Kubiak was the quarterbacks coach for two years before becoming offensive coordinator, and Janocko was his quarterbacks coach in 2021.
As a result of all of those connections, Cousins knows this offense better than any veteran quarterback currently available, and perhaps better than anyone currently in the league. Although Cousins poses a threat to him potentially starting, what a resource for Mendoza to draw from.
Let's be honest: This Raiders team is still a bit away from having all of its holes filled or contending in any way. If the offensive line is not as shored up as most hope, or the wide receiver room isn't coming along, it may be best for Mendoza to learn from the side and let Cousins take the bumps and bruises.
Asking a rookie quarterback to do too much can not only be bad for his development as a player, but when he inevitably falls short due to a poor supporting cast, it could hurt his confidence. Mendoza is a great player who is both physically and mentally tough, but the NFL is a different beast.
This signing should have no real bearing on Mendoza's livelihood in Las Vegas. Is it less likely that he starts now with Cousins being his competition as opposed to Aidan O'Connell? Definitely. But how much less likely? Nobody knows.
At the very least, Mendoza now has a veteran presence in the quarterback room and somebody who helps him out as he grows at the NFL level. At most, Mendoza has to sit for a significant portion of his rookie year as he learns the ropes.
But one of two things will happen: Mendoza will rise to the occasion and beat out Cousins in camp, earning the starting job right away. Or, he'll sit behind someone who seems like they'd be a great mentor. Mendoza can't lose, so this Cousins signing may be the best thing for him.