Overview
- The Raiders announced Wednesday that veteran Kirk Cousins will start the season opener, leaving No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza on the bench to begin the year.
- General manager John Spytek praised Mendoza’s work ethic and accuracy but said the rookie must earn playing time through daily practice performance.
- Mendoza flashed in early preseason work but struggled against the San Francisco 49ers, completing 50 percent of his passes with no touchdowns and one interception.
- Coaches and commentators framed Cousins as a one-year bridge to reduce the risk of injury to Mendoza behind a still-imperfect offensive line and to buy time for roster upgrades.
- The decision follows precedents used to protect young quarterbacks and gives Las Vegas a window to add protection pieces such as Tyler Linderbaum and to prepare Mendoza for a future starting role.