The Las Vegas Raiders are finally leaning into the chaos that defines their brand, but this time it feels calculated. After a 2025 campaign that saw the defense crater and the offensive line provide roughly the same protection as a screen door in a hurricane, the silver and black are holding the golden ticket: the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Kirk Cousins Mentorship Plan for Fernando Mendoza
With Tom Brady watching from the owner’s box and head coach Klint Kubiak holding the play sheet, the quarterback room just got crowded and expensive. The arrival of a veteran technician has set the stage for a summer-long desert battle that could determine the franchise’s trajectory for the next decade.
The worst-kept secret in football is officially out: the Raiders are locked in on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the top pick for the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza is coming off a legendary Heisman season in which he threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns while leading the Hoosiers to the program’s first national championship.
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His Pro Day performance, where he missed just three throws out of 56, reportedly moved the needle for a Raiders contingent that showed up 10 deep to watch him work. Mendoza is currently the second-highest player on PFSN’s CFB QB Impact.
However, the plot thickened this week when the Raiders finalized a massive deal for veteran Kirk Cousins. While Kubiak has publicly hinted at a “sit and develop” model for rookies, the financial commitment to Cousins suggests a genuine competition rather than a simple apprenticeship.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Raiders are effectively paying Cousins $11.3 million for a single year of service. That number blows the highest-paid backup salary in the league, Marcus Mariota’s $7 million, out of the water.
Super Bowl champion Chase Daniel weighed in on the dynamic, noting that while Mendoza is the future, Cousins is the perfect bridge to get him there.
“I don’t think there’s any way that you draft Fernando Mendoza number one overall, and then Kirk Cousins plays,” Daniel said.
Fernando Mendoza HAS To Be Day 1 Starter For The Raiders, Not Kirk Cousins pic.twitter.com/mr1G1F8M0q
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) April 3, 2026
“This is purely for a high character, high IQ quarterback room to room to help the growth of Fernando Mendoza, and they are one and the same. Like, he’s one of the guys that I’m like, when you break Mendoza down, you’re like, Okay, I can see some Kirk cousins. Has a much stronger arm at that point coming out than Kirk Cousins was as a fourth round pick, but you can also see just all the traits in them…He’s also going to be like, Hey, like what can I do to help Fernando?'”
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The Raiders’ roster construction confirms they aren’t playing for 2027. By pairing a Heisman winner with a veteran who just navigated a similar “successor” situation in Atlanta with Michael Penix Jr., Las Vegas is betting on a seamless transition.
Whether it’s Cousins under center in Week 1 to navigate a brutal early schedule or Mendoza taking the keys immediately, the Raiders have finally built a floor high enough to support their new ceiling.
