April 2, 2026, 5:55 p.m. PT
Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak is fond of having bridge quarterbacks.
No one sentiment is more important for the Raiders this offseason than the stance that Kubiak took at the annual league meeting this week.
According to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, Kubiak wants a rookie quarterback to learn from a veteran starter right out of the gates in the NFL.
Fernando Mendoza is the incoming rookie quarterback that has everything save a handshake with commissioner Roger Goodell as the No. 1 overall pick on draft day spelling his future as the Raiders’ next franchise quarterback.
Then Kirk Cousins happened. The Raiders struck a deal with Cousins in free agency on Thursday. Instead of being a forgone conclusion to be the incumbent backup quarterback to Mendoza in 2026, Kubiak’s attestation at the league meeting sets the stage for a potential position battle to unfold in Las Vegas between Indiana’s Heisman Trophy winner as well as the veteran QB prior to the start of the 2026 season.
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Though Kubiak is more inclined to take the traditional route with his quarterback room, Mendoza’s talent, coupled with Cousins floating between being a starter as well as a backup with the Atlanta Falcons from 2024-25, makes Raiders’ future starting job for next season less clear.