The mystery of who is going to earn the quarterback spot for the Las Vegas Raiders has finally come to an end.
The franchise has officially announced, under the direction of the organization’s head coach, Klint Kubiak, that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will be the starting quarterback. Cousins will start Week 1 against the Dolphins. The 22-year-old quarterback Fernando Mendoza will be the backup quarterback for the franchise.
RGIII Questions Raiders’ Kirk Cousins QB1 Decision
In a recent episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, analysts Jason McIntyre and Robert Griffin III (RGIII) reacted to the organization’s decision to choose Kirk Cousins for the QB1 spot over Fernando Mendoza and said:
“I Don’t love it, Kirk, at this point in his career, and where the Raiders are as a team, I would love to see them just give the reins to Fernando Mendoza, allow him to grow through some of the growing pain that you have to as a quarterback. But I don’t think this is necessarily an indictment on Fernando. I know he struggled in his last two games in the preseason. It kind of feels to me like it’s more of an indictment on what the Las Vegas Raiders believe about their team right now.”
They also said:
“I could see them trying to keep some of the losses off of Fernando Mendoza’s record. Maybe they think that if he gets beat up too much early in his rookie year, that it could hurt him later in his career. But I can’t say I’m surprised, because any time a team brings in a veteran, especially one like Kirk Cousins, who’s played a ton of football, they typically don’t allow the rookie to go do his thing.”
They ended the conversation by saying that young players should be given chances, as it would help them grow, “as the only way you can get better in the NFL is to actually play the game.”
“Love my guy, Kirk. At this point in his career – I would love to see them give the reins to Fernando Mendoza and allow him to grow through some of the growing pains…”@jasonrmcintyre & @RGIII react to the Raiders naming Kirk Cousins QB1 over Fernando Mendoza pic.twitter.com/7qgnMVtG2y
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 2, 2026
The veteran quarterback has previously worked with the head coach in Minnesota. Fans believe that the choice for the head coach was obvious, as Cousins is familiar with Kubiak’s offense. Cousins suffered an injury that hampered him, but he is back again physically healthy.
The Indiana Heisman Trophy winner will learn a lot by watching Cousins do the job and through his limited practice reps. While Mendoza will have to wait for his opportunity, being behind an experienced quarterback like Cousins could help him adjust to the NFL. The young quarterback can continue developing his game and prepare himself for whenever the Raiders decide to give him an opportunity on the field.
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The post ‘I Don’t Love It’ — NFL Analyst Drops Bold Statement on Kirk Cousins Being Named Raiders QB1 Over Fernando Mendoza appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.