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Raiders rumors: Insider gives Fernando Mendoza ‘unlikely’ chance to beat out Kirk Cousins
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- Raiders rumors: Insider gives Fernando Mendoza ‘unlikely’ chance to beat out Kirk Cousins
Raiders rumors: Insider gives Fernando Mendoza 'unlikely' chance to beat out Kirk Cousins appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Las Vegas Raiders are less than two months away from kicking off their 2026 NFL season. The Raiders have had an eventful offseason, headlined by drafting quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft out of Indiana.
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The Raiders also signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency, and recently, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed his thoughts on who will get the starting job initially.
"Could Mendoza win the job? I think it's probably unlikely. Kubiak, I believe, will be very deliberate in how the Raiders bring Mendoza along, as much as anything to ensure that the progress he's making takes and becomes permanent," he opined.
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Indeed, many expect that Cousins will be the Raiders' starter on Week 1 of the upcoming season, with Fernando set to be integrated into the fold as the campaign wears on. Still, unlike when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons two years ago in free agency, Cousins joined the Raiders this offseason knowing that he is not the long-term plan for the team at quarterback, and likely won't even make it through this full season as the starter, assuming he gets the job to begin with.
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Breer also noted that he believes "the Raiders will sprinkle Mendoza in with the first team this summer—with Cousins's extensive background in the scheme giving them more flexibility to do so—as part of the rookie's larger development plan."
This could just be a ploy to help give Mendoza more reps in the team's system, or it could be a sign of something more significant moving forward.
In any case, the Raiders are set to kick off their new season on Sept. 13 with a home game against the Miami Dolphins .
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