Las Vegas Raiders name Kirk Cousins starting QB over Fernando Mendoza for Week 1

Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins spent the last two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. File Photo by Mike Zarrilli/UPI Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Kirk Cousins will be the Las Vegas Raiders' starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2026 season, coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday. The 14-year veteran, who signed a two-year, $12.6 million deal with the Raiders in April, was in a competition with rookie Fernando Mendoza for the role. He did not practice Wednesday because of a scheduled rest day. "He has played really good football," Kubiak told reporters at a news conference at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev. "I'm really happy with all three of our quarterbacks. Kirk has had a really good off-season and a very good camp. He's earned it." Kubiak said "we're off to Miami first," when asked if Mendoza could play at some point this season. Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, completed 25 of 45 passes for 240 yards, a score and two interceptions this preseason. Cousins completed 13 of 17 passes for 101 yards and a score in two preseason appearances. Cousins, 38, completed 61.7% of his throws for 1,721 yards, 10 scores and five interceptions over 10 appearances last season for the Atlanta Falcons. He totaled 298 passing scores and 131 interceptions over the first 174 appearances of his NFL career. Aidan O'Connell, the Raiders' third-string quarterback, appeared in 21 games over the last three seasons. The fourth-round pick by the Raiders in the 2023 NFL Draft made a career-high 10 starts during his rookie campaign. The Raiders will host the Miami Dolphins in their regular season opener at 4:25 p.m. EDT Sept. 13 in Las Vegas. They are 3.5-point favorites.