Klint Kubiak is making Fernando Mendoza earn his place as the Las Vegas Raiders’ backup quarterback, proving draft status alone won’t decide the battle.
Kubiak was asked point-blank this week whether Mendoza or Aidan O’Connell would serve as backup if Kirk Cousins opens the season under center. His answer was a non-answer. “We’ve got three guys that are ready to play. It’s going to be some hard decisions on who’s 1 and who’s 2. That’s not a decision we have to make today, but those are discussions that are ongoing.”
That’s about as close as a coach gets to saying the No. 1 overall pick isn’t locked into anything. Cousins remains the presumptive Week 1 starter and recent reports this weekend back that up. He’s been getting reps with the first team all camp, and nothing about that has changed. The QB2 position behind him is truly competitive, with Mendoza and O’Connell vying for the spot, which should raise some concerns among Raider Nation.
What if Mendoza isn’t ready?
The concern is tied to what the Raiders gave up to get here. You don’t spend the first overall pick on a Heisman winner and then stash him third on the depth chart without it saying something about where his game actually is right now. Preseason results back that up. Mendoza’s outing against Houston was rocky. He finished 8-of-15 with an interception that got returned for a touchdown. Meanwhile, O’Connell has the built-in advantage of having some memorable regular season wins under his belt.
Related: Raiders HC Klint Kubiak is keeping everything close to the chest
For a coaching staff still establishing its offense in Year 1 under Kubiak, comfort and reps matter more than draft pedigree. It also reframes the “bridge year” plan Vegas sold when they took Mendoza. If he’s not even guaranteed to be the emergency option, this isn’t a redshirt season. It’s a full audition against a veteran who knows the offense cold. That’s a much harder path to the Week 1 2027 job than anyone expected in April.
Here’s my read. Kubiak “officially” names Cousins the starter any day now, but I don’t think Mendoza ends up QB3 when it actually counts. O’Connell’s floor is real, but Mendoza’s ceiling and draft investment win out once final cuts force the issue. This stays too close to call before the opener.
Would you actually be comfortable if the Raiders opened the season with the No. 1 overall pick inactive on gameday behind O’Connell?
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