The veteran standout secures his starting role after a stellar camp, fending off the top overall pick to lead Las Vegas into a high-stakes season opener.
The Las Vegas Raiders entered the preseason with plenty of questions about who would be the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the regular season.
After the three preseason games, it seemed that veteran Kirk Cousins would get the job, although rookie and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza showed flashes of promise in his opportunities.
After the final preseason game, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak still hadn't decided on a QB1.
"I still don't think we need to name anybody," Kubiak said. "We have a lot to talk about at a lot of positions, so we want to watch the film and talk about everything as a staff."
However, the decision has come in, and Cousins will start Week 1.
After the decision, here's what Kubiak said about naming Cousins as the starter.
“He played really good football. I’m really happy with all three of our quarterbacks. Kirk’s had a really good offseason, very good camp and he's earned it," Kubiak said, via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
When Kubiak made the announcement, he also revealed that it was "by design" that Cousins wasn't out there for practice on Wednesday due to a rest day.
Cousins is gearing up for his 15th season in the NFL, and in the two preseason games, he completed 76.5 percent of his passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
When Cousins was signed this offseason, the initial thought and plan was to use him as a bridge and then insert Mendoza whenever the rookie is fully ready, and that might still be the case.
While Mendoza had plenty of solid flashes, he also threw a pick-six and another interception in the preseason, showing that he still needs time to fully adjust, which is expected for a rookie quarterback coming into the league.
As it turns out, Mendoza will be the first No. 1 overall pick among QBs since Baker Mayfield in 2018 not to make a start on opening day.
The question from here on out is how long Cousins will be the starter. If he plays well, there is really no reason for the Raiders to make a change.
Las Vegas begins the year at home against the Miami Dolphins on September 13, and the Dolphins will have Malik Willis making his first start for his new team, and they also have a new head coach in what has been a busy offseason for both teams.
