Klint Kubiak still would not name a Week 1 starter after the Raiders' preseason game against Houston, leaving Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza in limbo ahead of the Sept. 13 opener against Miami.
Kubiak said he has “another week” and does not want anyone “comfortable in their job,” even though he said last week that Cousins had a solid camp and that the role was “his job to lose.”
Cousins did not play Thursday, while Mendoza started and later admitted his pick-six was “not a good throw”; Kubiak had also cited good work from Cousins in a joint practice despite one interception returned for a score.
The standoff keeps open a competition many expected to be settled in favor of Cousins, the veteran signed as a bridge starter for Mendoza, the Raiders' No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.