The Las Vegas Raiders entered training camp insisting Kirk Cousins was their starting quarterback. Chris Simms believes Fernando Mendoza is making that stance harder to maintain by the day.
Chris Simms Sees Raiders Changing Their Tune
The former NFL quarterback said on “Pro Football Talk” that Las Vegas has already softened its language after watching Mendoza flash in his preseason debut and earn work with the first team. Simms now sees a real path for the No. 1 overall pick to overtake Cousins before Week 1.
“I made fun of this last week almost immediately after their game,” Simms said. “It was Kirk Cousins the starter, Kirk Cousins the starter, Kirk Cousins the starter.”
Then Mendoza got on the field.
“And then they saw Mendoza and they were like, ‘Whoa, he read the field good. Woo, that was a laser,’” Simms said. “’Well, now it’s Kurt Cousins’s job to lose,’ They’ve already changed their tune.”
Simms pointed to Mendoza receiving first-team reps this week as evidence that the door is no longer completely shut. Head Coach Klint Kubiak confirmed Mendoza worked against the Houston Texans’ starting defense during Tuesday’s joint practice, saying the Raiders wanted to see how the rookie handled that speed.
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Simms believes the physical contrast between the quarterbacks is becoming difficult to ignore.
“The door’s been cracked open because they’re sitting there on an everyday basis going, ‘Hey, Kirk’s nice. He leads the team. He knows where to go with the ball, but I mean, his arm is weak. He’s not very athletic,” Simms said. “Mendoza is throwing fireballs compared to him out on the practice field.”
He finished with an even stronger prediction: “We thought that this would be a possibility, and I think it’s happening right in front of our eyes right now.”
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Fernando Mendoza Keeps Pressure on Kirk Cousins
Kubiak has not officially flipped the depth chart. After Las Vegas’ preseason opener, he still called the starting job Cousins’ “job to lose.”
Mendoza nevertheless gave the Raiders something to think about. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in a 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Kubiak called him an “ascending player,” while NFL.com praised his processing and willingness to attack tight windows.
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The rookie also arrives with considerably more than draft pedigree. Mendoza led Indiana to a 16-0 season, won the Heisman Trophy and national championship, and finished 2025 with a 93.3 PFN College QB Impact score, ranking second among quarterbacks.
Cousins still owns the experience advantage and led a touchdown drive on his only possession against Arizona. Las Vegas also entered camp with Kubiak publicly calling him the starter.
The bridge may be getting shorter.
Mendoza’s next opportunity comes Thursday against the Houston Texans. If Simms is right, the Raiders are no longer simply preparing their future quarterback. They are beginning to ask whether the future should start immediately.
