Everything was going well in Sin City to start the 2026 NFL season, as Kirk Cousins led Klint Kubiak’s new regime to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2021.
But the Raiders have lost their last four games, including their most recent 35-21 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, who got back on track Sunday.
With the recent skid, some begged the question whether Kubiak would change quarterbacks considering Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has yet to hear his number called in his rookie season.
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Kubiak squashed that speculation on Monday.
“[Cousins is] playing at a very high level, and he’s got to continue to do that for us to win,” Kubiak told reporters, via ESPN. “We got to keep helping all the surrounding areas. [I’m] excited for him to go play against the Jets.”
So, that settles it: Cousins will be the starting quarterback against the 2-5 Jets on the road this Sunday.
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Kubiak invited the debate about Cousins’ job security, though, when he said “everything” would be evaluated after another loss. But when you look at his argument, the numbers back it up for Cousins.
He has the most passing touchdowns of any quarterback in the NFL this season (16), while sitting third in passing yards (1,877). He’s completed 62.6% of his passes and thrown only five interceptions to his 16 touchdowns. Cousins also owns a 97.4 quarterback rating through seven games this season.
But when exactly will the Raiders be bringing Mendoza in, if at all? Kubiak said the Miami product is “going to play football,” though his support for Cousins outweighs that notion now.
“Kirk is playing really well, and we’re in the hunt,” Kubiak added. “It’s really important that we keep playing really well behind him and keep developing Fernando.”
This was the plan all along for Kubiak, who hoped that Cousins would work his offense efficiently and allow Mendoza time to develop behind him. Las Vegas has hit a rough patch, but Kubiak is poised and confident Cousins and the rest of the team will be back on track against a struggling Jets squad, who gave the Miami Dolphins its first win of the season in Week 7.
As for Mendoza, his time will come – just not right now.
“Fernando is going to play at some point. It’s not going to be this week,” Kubiak said.
If the Raiders lose to the Jets on Sunday, perhaps it’s a conversation worth having again with the first-year head coach.
