Shortly after Fernando Mendoza was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, the franchise went out and signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a free agent contract. The move quickly made for an intriguing QB room in Las Vegas with the rising rookie and 14-year NFL veteran.
Speculation began to immediately arise as to whether Cousins was brought in to be the starter, or to simply mentor Mendoza, who is 15 years his junior. Training camp has officially begun, and Las Vegas' Week 1 starter has yet to be named by new head coach Klint Kubiak.
However, the picture surrounding the Raiders’ quarterback plans is beginning to get a little clearer.
Raiders release first training camp depth chart
On Monday, the Raiders released their first unofficial depth chart of training camp. Mendoza is listed as the No. 2 quarterback on the roster, with Cousins holding the No. 1 spot. Aiden O'Connell is listed at No. 3 while Jacob Clark claims the No. 4 spot. O'Connell has made 17 starts for Vegas over the past three seasons while Clark is an undrafted free agent out of Missouri State.
The QB depth chart sends a clear message to Mendoza: He still has work to do.
Given all that has transpired throughout training camp so far, it seems likely that the Raiders want to start the season with Cousins as their QB1. The 14-year NFL veteran has seen the vast majority of first team reps, and obvisously has a huge advantage over Mendoza when it comes to experience.
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But that doesn't mean Mendoza hasn't been impressive. Over the past few practices the Heisman Trophy winner has thrown touchdown passes to Brock Bowers and Tre Tucker, and has moved the ball around to all of Vegas' receivers. He also completed five straight passes during a two-minute drill to set up a field goal for his offense.
Fernando Mendoza chasing Kirk Cousins for Raiders' QB1 job
Mendoza got off to a slow start at the beginning of camp, but appears to be finding his footing. Last week, Sam Warren of The Athletic stated that Mendoza "started a bit slow but got better as practice progressed," adding that the former Hoosier threw for multiple touchdowns in the red zone during a goal line drill.
Furthermore, reporterJesse Merrick said that Mendoza has made some impressive throws in tight window throws and seems to trust his arm. He added that Mendoza has also made safe throws and hasn't forced much. That could serve him well, as preventing turnovers and protecting the football will be of the utmost importance in Kubiak's offense.
It will be interesting to see how much playing time both Cousins and Mendoza get during Las Vegas' preseason games, the first of which comes on Thursday, August 13 against the Cardinals. Mendoza figures to see an ample amount of opportunity.
While Mendoza trails Cousins right now, the QB race in Las Vegas is not over. A lot can happen between now and Las Vegas' Week 1 matchup against the Dolphins on September 13. But at this point in time it seems that the starting job may be Cousins' to lose.
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