Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak confirmed Monday that Kirk Cousins will remain the team’s starting quarterback despite a four-game losing streak, putting off any move to rookie Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders opened the season 3-0 under Kubiak, their first such start since 2021, but have since dropped four straight, including a 35-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
“[Cousins is] playing at a very high level, and he’s got to continue to do that for us to win,” Kubiak told reporters, via ESPN. “We got to keep helping all the surrounding areas. [I’m] excited for him to go play against the Jets.”
Cousins will start this Sunday on the road against the 2-5 New York Jets.
Kubiak had previously said “everything” would be evaluated if the team lost again, opening the door to speculation about a quarterback change. But the numbers still favor Cousins. Through seven games, he leads the NFL in passing touchdowns with 16, ranks third in passing yards with 1,877, has completed 62.6% of his passes, and has thrown just five interceptions. His quarterback rating stands at 97.4.
Kubiak said Mendoza, out of Miami, will eventually get his chance, but not this week.
“Kirk is playing really well, and we’re in the hunt. It’s really important that we keep playing really well behind him and keep developing Fernando.”
“Fernando is going to play at some point. It’s not going to be this week,” Kubiak added.
The approach reflects Kubiak’s original plan for the season: let Cousins run the offense efficiently while Mendoza develops behind him. The Jets, who handed the Miami Dolphins their first win of the season in Week 7, present an opportunity for Las Vegas to snap its skid. Should the Raiders lose again, the question of whether to turn to Mendoza is likely to resurface.
