Kubiak Drops Truth Bomb: All Three QBs — Yes, Even Mendoza — Need First-Team Love
HENDERSON, Nev. — Don't look now, but the Raiders' quarterback room just got a whole lot more interesting.
After rookie Fernando Mendoza lit it up in his preseason debut Thursday night, head coach Klint Kubiak isn't hiding the truth: All three signal-callers — including the rookie — deserve reps with the first team.
“That's something that we're talking about as a coaching staff right now,” Kubiak said Friday. “Whether it's Aidan O'Connell, Kirk or Fernando, all three of those guys deserve first-team reps. We've got to put a plan together on how we're going to split them up.”
Mendoza Made a Statement
The rookie out of Miami didn't just play — he executed. Mendoza went 10-for-16 for 97 yards and a touchdown across four offensive series (18 plays) in the Raiders' 27-14 loss to the Cardinals.
For a guy mostly running with the second-team offense in camp, that's a serious flex.
“He went out and executed the way that he does in practice,” Kubiak said. “Some guys get to the game and things change on them, and they move fast and freak out. He was the opposite.”
Cousins Still the Guy (For Now)
Let's not get it twisted — Kirk Cousins remains the starter. He showed why on the opening drive, going 5-for-6 for 50 yards and a 13-yard touchdown strike to tight end Michael Mayer.
But Kubiak's willingness to spread the first-team love signals this isn't a closed competition. Even Mendoza, who saw brief reps with the starters earlier after a Cousins-Maxx Crosby scuffle, is now in the conversation.
The Perfectionist Rookie
Mendoza? He wasn't about to celebrate. He stayed in his own film room, nitpicking his misthrows and misreads, demanding better timing and anticipation.
“The best quarterbacks I've been around are the ones that are hard on themselves,” Kubiak said. “... I think he played good football last night.”
With O'Connell closing out the fourth quarter, the Raiders have a legit three-headed QB debate brewing. Preseason may be a shrug for some teams, but in Vegas, the stakes just went up.