Raiders Put Fernando Mendoza Behind Kirk Cousins on the Depth Chart. Was Anyone Actually Surprised?
The Las Vegas Raiders released their first unofficial depth chart of the preseason on Monday, and the biggest question was who was penciled in at quarterback. The answer surprised no one: Kirk Cousins is QB1, and Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is behind him.
That is the correct call. It is also going to age fast.
Cousins signed a two-year, $12.645 million contract with Las Vegas in April to be exactly this: the veteran placeholder while the rookie learns. Mendoza is the future. But you do not throw a rookie quarterback out for Week 1 unless he has forced your hand, and Mendoza has not done that yet.
The math on Cousins
Kirk Cousins is 37 years old. He is coming off a rough final year in Atlanta, where the Falcons benched him for Michael Penix Jr. and then let him walk. He is not the star he was in Minnesota. He is not going to elevate this offense.
What he is: an accurate, timing-based passer who can run Chip Kelly’s offense at a functional level. He knows how to read defenses. He can throw the checkdown on rhythm. He is not going to lose you a lot of games with turnovers, and he is going to give the young offensive weapons around him a chance to develop timing without a rookie’s growing pains.
For a team coming off a 3-14 season, that is not glamorous. It is stable. Stability is what Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly want in year one.
The Mendoza situation
Fernando Mendoza is the reason anybody in Vegas is optimistic about the future. He led Indiana to an undefeated season and a national championship in his lone year with the Hoosiers, opening enough eyes to end up as the top pick in the draft. He has arm talent. He has poise. He has the kind of physical tools that make scouts do double takes.
What he does not have yet is professional experience or a full grasp of an NFL playbook. Chip Kelly’s college roots make the offense a slightly friendlier learning environment, but the NFL is a different sport. Even the best young quarterbacks need time to see disguised coverages, learn where the safeties are cheating, and adjust to the speed of the game.
Putting Mendoza behind Cousins for the summer is the responsible move. It is also the move that keeps Cousins’ trade value from cratering. If Cousins plays well early and Mendoza is not ready, teams calling for veteran QB help will pick up the phone. If Mendoza forces his way onto the field by October, Cousins becomes a valuable backup for a contender.
How long does the veteran plan last?
Historically, teams that draft a quarterback with the No. 1 pick get about eight to ten games with the veteran before the calls to make the switch become impossible to ignore. Look at every recent example. Bryce Young waited five games before starting. Caleb Williams started Week 1. Justin Fields waited six weeks in Chicago. Kyler Murray started Day 1 in Arizona.
The Raiders’ preferred plan is probably to redshirt Mendoza for the whole year, let him watch and learn behind Cousins, and then hand him the keys in 2027. That plan works only if two things happen: Cousins plays well enough to keep the team competitive, and Mendoza does not visibly close the gap in practice. If either of those breaks the other way, the switch happens sooner.
Meanwhile, Mendoza could see meaningful action in Thursday’s preseason opener against Arizona at Allegiant Stadium. That is going to be the first look Raiders fans get at their franchise quarterback. It will not decide anything, but it will start to shape the conversation.
Cousins is QB1 today. He is not going to be QB1 for two years. Everyone in that locker room knows it. The only question is which month the switch happens.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
