Analysis: Why Raiders should consider starting Fernando Mendoza right away

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026 | 2 a.m. The Raiders committed to Kirk Cousins, agreeing to make Las Vegas the fourth stop of his 15‑year NFL career this offseason — that they’d commencement the champion backmost connected the roster astatine the opening of the season. In other words, they did not bring him in merely to mentor the top‑drafted quarterback of the future, Fernando Mendoza. If Mendoza expected to play ahead of Cousins right away, he would have had to earn the role definitively. That has not occurred. Through the first three weeks of training camp, Cousins has clearly outperformed Mendoza as the team prepares for its second preseason game tonight at 5 p.m. against the Houston Texans. This does not mean Mendoza has had a mediocre camp; on the contrary, he has produced several notable moments, including frequent deep connections with rookie teammate Malik Benson. Nevertheless, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and national‑champion quarterback has shown inconsistency. He has struggled with ball security, fumbling too many snaps and throwing an excess of interceptions — not to mention several would‑be interceptions dropped by the defense. Flashes of the talent that earned him accolades have not yet silenced the debate over replacing Cousins with Mendoza, a notion that resonates with some fans and possibly members of the coaching staff. Mendoza shared first‑team repetitions with Cousins during a joint practice with the Texans on Tuesday, yielding mixed results. Coach Kubiak declined to confirm