Raiders name Kirk Cousins QB1 over rookie Fernando Mendoza, then vow him extended preseason reps
Las Vegas's first depth chart lists the No. 1 overall pick behind Cousins, but coach Klint Kubiak says Mendoza will get "plenty of experience" in Thursday's opener vs. Arizona.
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Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 23 items across 3 sources · 2h ago. Quotes are verbatim.
The Las Vegas Raiders released their first unofficial 2026 depth chart, listing veteran Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback ahead of No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza, with Aidan O'Connell third and Jacob Clark fourth. Days later, head coach Klint Kubiak said Mendoza will receive extended playing time, including possibly with the first-team offensive line, in Thursday's preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, signaling the team's plan to develop the rookie behind Cousins while still getting him meaningful reps.
- Raiders' first 2026 depth chart lists Kirk Cousins as starting QB, Fernando Mendoza second, Aidan O'Connell third, Jacob Clark fourth.
- Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, briefly took first-team reps after Cousins sat out a practice following a scuffle with Maxx Crosby, but returned to second-team work once Cousins was back.
- Coach Klint Kubiak confirms Mendoza will make his preseason debut Thursday against Arizona and receive 'plenty of experience,' possibly with the first-team offensive line.
- Reports suggest an eventual Mendoza workload of 9-10 games this season depending on readiness and Cousins' performance, though no handoff timeline has been set.
How it unfolded
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Kubiak says Las Vegas plans to play its regular starters against Arizona while ensuring Mendoza gets significant playing time in his first NFL game, without specifying an exact series count.
“plenty of experience”
Klint Kubiak · Press ↗ -
A separate report indicates Mendoza could see extensive snaps Thursday, potentially with the starting offensive line rather than backups.
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Kubiak announces Mendoza is set to play in the preseason opener against Arizona and will receive substantial work.
“plenty of experience”
Klint Kubiak · Press ↗ -
Analysis notes the chart installs Cousins as starter with an explicit development plan for Mendoza, who is not competing publicly for the Week 1 job but has a path to it later in the season.
“played really good football”
Klint Kubiak · Mastodon ↗ -
The preliminary 2026 depth chart lists Cousins as starting quarterback, Mendoza second, O'Connell third, and undrafted rookie Jacob Clark fourth.
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Mendoza took first-team snaps Saturday when Cousins sat out after a scuffle with Maxx Crosby, but returned to second-team reps Monday once Cousins was back practicing.
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Coverage describes Cousins continuing to "fend off" Mendoza and discusses the importance of getting both Mendoza and O'Connell game-ready for the season.
What people are saying verbatim
“played really good football”
Klint Kubiak, Raiders head coach · rawchili.com (via Mastodon) ↗ · Aug 10
“plenty of experience”
Klint Kubiak, Raiders head coach · Yahoo Sports ↗ · Aug 10
“will get plenty of reps”
Klint Kubiak, Raiders head coach · ESPN ↗ · Aug 10
Voices from the web unedited
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Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to get plenty of experience in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Cardinals, coach Klint Kubiak said Tuesday. More via @ ryanmcfadden_@twitter.com : https://www. espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/495852 20/raiders-qb-mendoza-get-plenty-reps-preseason-opener
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Jermod McCoy will go, Maxx Crosby maybe, Mendoza with the ones? Raiders preseason opener plans https://www. nytimes.com/athletic/7506850/2 026/08/11/las-vegas-raiders-preseason-opener-fernando-mendoza-playing/