Kirk Cousins will begin the season as Las Vegas’ starting quarterback after holding off first overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza and Raider veteran Aidan O’Connell.

Head coach Klint Kubiak confirmed that Cousins will face Miami in the Raiders’ opener on 13th September, completing a competition that had remained officially unresolved throughout training camp.

“He played really good football,” Kubiak said of the former Washington, Minnesoata and Atlanta QB. “I’m really happy with all three of our quarterbacks, [but] Kirk’s had a really good offseason, very good camp and he’s earned it.”

Cousins completed 13 of 17 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown across his two preseason appearances. The 38-year-old now enters his 15th NFL season with 44,700 passing yards, 298 touchdowns and 167 career starts. His selection allows Las Vegas to avoid rushing Mendoza behind an offensive line carrying considerable uncertainty into the season. The former Indiana quarterback arrived as the Heisman Trophy winner after guiding the Hoosiers through an undefeated national championship campaign, but endured a more difficult conclusion to his first NFL preseason.

Mendoza completed seven of 14 attempts for 57 yards, threw an interception and was sacked twice during the Raiders’ defeat by San Francisco. Kubiak subsequently said the rookie needed further preseason experience, although his development will now continue primarily through practice. The decision makes Mendoza the first quarterback selected at the very top of the draft to sit out his team’s opening game since Baker Mayfield began the 2018 season behind Tyrod Taylor in Cleveland.

Kubiak offered no indication of when Mendoza might receive his opportunity. Asked whether the rookie would play this season, the coach replied: “Let’s work to Miami first.”

Las Vegas has nevertheless protected Mendoza from immediate pressure without ruling out a change later in the campaign. Cousins’ experience provides stability for Kubiak’s first season as head coach, but the presence of the #1 selection ensures the quarterback position will continue to attract scrutiny.

Cousins becomes the ninth player to start at quarterback for the Raiders since Derek Carr’s departure at the end of the 2022 season. Las Vegas has also changed its head coach-quarterback combination in each of the past four years. Mendoza will begin the season as the primary reserve, with O’Connell listed third, but Kubiak stressed that the rookie must prepare as though his opportunity could arrive without warning.

“He’s got to be ready to go from square one,” Kubiak said. “Nobody ever puts you out there when they think you’re 100 percent ready. Whether you’re a coach or a player, you just have to be ready.”