Behind Cousins as camp opens

Coach Klint Kubiak announced Tuesday that Kirk Cousins will begin training camp as the Raiders' starting quarterback ahead of Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell, Ryan McFadden of ESPN reports.

"When we go out to practice (on Wednesday), Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback," Kubiak said. "He's the guy, and he deserves it because he's played really good football. But I want Fernando and Aidan (O'Connell) to push him." The decision isn't surprising, given that Cousins logged the majority of the first-team reps during Las Vegas' offseason program and looked "excellent" in the process, per Kubiak. While Cousins currently has the upper hand and offers the Raiders a viable option should they decide to hold off on Mendoza's eventual move up the depth chart, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft could still push for the start in Week 1 if he performs well during training camp and the preseason.