Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said he thinks it helps a young quarterback “if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”

31 March 2026

The Raiders have been linked to Kirk Cousins as a bridge quarterback ahead of obvious No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza for most of this offseason, and this helps explain why that is. Kubiak did say that “you might not have that veteran to show him the way.” The way the Raiders currently set up, they do not have that quarterback in the room. Mendoza will almost certainly start the majority of the season for the Raiders assuming the pick is completed, but these quotes lend some credence to the idea he could sit early on.