# Raiders rebuild around Kirk Cousins and young QB Mendoza

> Las Vegas surprises with a patient approach to developing rookie Fernando Mendoza, using veteran Kirk Cousins as mentor and starter.
- Title: Raiders rebuild around Kirk Cousins and young QB Mendoza
- Summary: Las Vegas surprises with a patient approach to developing rookie Fernando Mendoza, using veteran Kirk Cousins as mentor and starter. The Raiders are taking a…
- Keywords: las vegas raiders, kirk cousins, fernando mendoza, nfl 2026 season, quarterback development, klint kubiak, tom brady, pete carroll, patient approach, rookie quarterback, mentorship, nfl draft
- Source: Sky Sports — https://skysports.com/nfl/news/12040/13590696/tom-brady-kirk-cousins-fernando-mendoza-and-the-las-vegas-raiders-surprise-start-to-the-nfl-season
- Author: Neil Reynolds
- Published: 2026-09-22T14:28:00+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: las vegas raiders, kirk cousins, fernando mendoza, nfl 2026 season, quarterback development, klint kubiak, tom brady, pete carroll, patient approach, rookie quarterback, mentorship, nfl draft
## Raiders needed complete rebuild
After losing 33-16 to Dallas in November, the Raiders looked miles from contention with ineffective quarterback Geno Smith and frustrated star defensive end Max Crosby.
## Tom Brady's front office challenge
Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady holds a top front office job with the Raiders and serves as TV commentator, tasked with rebuilding the franchise into a contender.
## Pete Carroll era ends in Vegas
Head coach Pete Carroll, in the final stages of his Hall of Fame career, was essentially brought in to sell tickets rather than build a winning program.
## Raiders select Mendoza with first pick
Las Vegas used the first overall pick in the NFL draft to select quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana, setting up their rebuild foundation.
## Rookie QBs usually thrown to wolves
Most NFL teams throw rookie quarterbacks into action immediately. Cam Ward with Tennessee last year was beaten from start to finish and suffered a shoulder injury in Week 18.
## Chiefs model with Mahomes and Smith
Kansas City resisted putting Patrick Mahomes in as a rookie, letting him sit and learn for a year under proven veteran Alex Smith. The Raiders are replicating this patient approach.
## Kirk Cousins brought in as mentor
The Raiders signed Kirk Cousins to be their starting quarterback and mentor to Mendoza. The relationship between them is endearing and will be valuable for the young quarterback's development.
## Cousins shows veteran smarts early
In the Raiders' win over the Chargers, Cousins demonstrated veteran intelligence by signaling to the running back pre-snap, likely pulling the defense into expecting a run before throwing a touchdown pass.
## Raiders start 2-0 with Cousins
The Raiders moved to 2-0 on the season, becoming one of the surprising unbeaten teams in the early stages of the 2026 NFL season.
## Cousins excited about his role
Cousins told the analyst in summer that he was excited about the Las Vegas opportunity because his job is secure for this year if things go well, allowing him to focus on mentoring Mendoza.
## Cousins among elite veteran company
At 38 years old, Cousins is only the third quarterback in NFL history to start a season with 3 passing touchdowns in each of the first two games, joining Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
## Cousins will be unselfish mentor
Cousins is known as one of the most unselfish and nicest guys in the NFL, so he will actively bring Mendoza along and share knowledge rather than keeping secrets in the quarterback room.

> He is not going to close himself off in the quarterback room. He's never going to keep secrets and tips and advice to himself.
## Raiders have young talent foundation
Beyond quarterback, the Raiders have young pieces including running back Ashton Jeanty, tight end Brock Bowers, and defensive end Maxx Crosby, giving them a foundation to build around.
## Kubiak has time to build right way
Head coach Klint Kubiak now has the time and young players to build the Raiders program properly for many years, with Kirk Cousins playing a mighty role this season.
## Key takeaway

The Raiders are taking a rare patient approach to developing their rookie quarterback by having him learn from veteran Kirk Cousins, similar to how Patrick Mahomes learned from Alex Smith with the Chiefs.