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The Las Vegas Raiders decided this offseason to improve their QB room, and one of the new faces is veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins. After the Atlanta Falcons cut ties with him, the Silver and Black came in and scooped him up to bring that experience to the room.

Nonetheless, Cousins isn’t just looking to be a mentor for No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza; he’s likely looking to start Week 1 for the Raiders, and it’s something the team probably wants.

As a result, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton believes that Cousins faces pressure to perform well because if he doesn’t, calls for Mendoza will increase.

“Kirk Cousins accepted the pressure that comes with joining a team that has the No. 1 overall pick and a need at quarterback,” Moton wrote in his May 2 article. “… Cousins is familiar with the pressure of playing ahead of a rookie first-rounder.

“He expects to compete for the Raiders’ lead job. If the 37-year-old loses the battle, he would take on a mentor role as a backup for the rookie… Even if that’s the Raiders’ intended plan, fans and the team could get impatient with Cousins if he recklessly turns the ball over and losses start to pile up… If Cousins wins the job, he must retain it every week with his play on the field.”

Las Vegas Explains Reason for Selecting Fernando Mendoza

After the Silver and Black selected Mendoza with the first overall pick, Raiders general manager John Spytek spoke with team columnist Paul Gutierrez about why it made sense to pick the former Indiana Hoosiers QB.

“We had a great process, and we promised ourselves, the ownership group, and the fans that we would do this the right way,“ Spytek said on April 23 after the Raiders made the pick.

“And we did not begin with the end in mind. This was not a coronation, but every step of the way, he kept checking boxes. I saw him three times in person — once in the fall and at the playoff games — and he played really well in all those games.

“We had a chance to visit with him at the combine, went to Bloomington to see his pro day, spent time with him, went to dinner with him, and then brought him here to Las Vegas and had a great day with him here, too. He just kept checking boxes along the way, and, you know, he made it pretty easy for us to realize that this is the right guy at the right time for the Raiders.”

RG III on Raiders’ QB Situation Ahead of the 2026 Season

Nonetheless, there’s a chance Mendoza outplays Cousins in training camp and the preseason, forcing the team’s hand to play him rather than going with the veteran.

During the April 28 edition of “The Herd,“ former NFL QB Robert Griffin III shared his thoughts on the Raiders’ QB situation, stating that winning 10 games for Las Vegas is a possibility if Mendoza starts from Week 1.

“I don’t think the Raiders winning 10 games is out of the question, but I think they only win 10 games if Fernando Mendoza is the starter Day 1,“ Griffin said. “The reason I say that is you talked about bringing in Tyler Linderbaum.

“That takes a little bit off the quarterback when it comes to diagnosing the defense, the run fronts, where’s the pressure coming from. Not that Fernando Mendoza can’t do that. We certainly know that Kirk Cousins has experience doing that…

“I think Fernando brings this team the identity that they need from the quarterback position, from a leadership standpoint. This guy’s willing to do anything it takes to help his team win games. He’s not there to pad stats. He’s not there to look good on the box score. He only wants to win.”