How the Raiders' New Trio Finally Eliminated Major Need

After another disappointing season that showcased their biggest flaws week after week, the Las Vegas Raiders entered this offseason focused on addressing as many of those needs as possible. The early part of the offseason was defined by the progress Las Vegas made with its roster.

Overall, the Raiders' biggest issue over the past few seasons was a lack of talent. The talent gap between Las Vegas and nearly every other team in the league was significant and glaringly apparent to anyone who watched them play even a quarter of football last season.

Ready Raiders

Aside from their offensive line and defensive backfield, Las Vegas' lack of talent was most apparent at the quarterback position. Since the 2023 season, the Raiders have started seven different quarterbacks, unsuccessfully finding a long-term answer at the position.

In fact, the Raiders failed to even find a short-term answer at quarterback. That is, until this offseason, when they signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to give them more time to develop No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza this upcoming season.

Las Vegas' New Trio

Las Vegas' starting quarterbacks have been placed in challenging positions in recent seasons. Yet each of them could have done better in their respective opportunities to solidify the starting position. This is part of what led to the additions of Cousins and Mendoza.

Shortly after hiring Klint Kubiak, the Raiders also added Mike McCoy as their assistant head coach. McCoy is known for his work with several other talented quarterbacks around the league. He recently shared his thoughts on Las Vegas' quarterback group. Two of the three are new additions.

“I love the way they work together. We left the building last night, whatever time that was, and as I walk through the dining area down there, a bunch of them were sitting down, the quarterbacks and some other players were just sitting there having dinner together, hanging out, and we kind of all walked out at the same time. But you just love the way they work together,” McCoy said.

“There's only one quarterback who's going to be playing, and that'll play itself out over training camp and how things go, but they work together, and they help each other out. The two younger guys are very fortunate to have the two vets in front of them and to see every day what it means to be a pro, how they work, and everyone's different."

Along with Cousins and Mendoza, Las Vegas still has Aidan O'Connell, who was one of the seven different quarterbacks the Raiders have had since the 2023 season. The presence of Cousins, O'Connell, and Mendoza gives Las Vegas the best group of quarterbacks they have had in a while.

McCoy elaborated, noting that each of the three quarterbacks brings a unique skill set to the Raiders. Cousins will lead the way, and the respective futures of Mendoza and O'Connell largely have to be decided upon. However, it is clear Las Vegas would rather have more talent than not enough.

“Everyone prepares different, everyone has different throwing styles, things like that, but you just love to see the relationship and the connections that they've built, and the unselfishness of each one of them helping each other, because as a young quarterback, there's a lot to learn,” McCoy said.

“And then we got two vets that have done an outstanding job helping the young guys, and that's what it's all about. The character in this building is out of this world, the vets. I mean, we got a young team, so we got to help a lot of these younger players, but the leaders have really stepped up to help the young guys show them the way."

The Raiders will eventually hand the reins from Cousins, likely directly to Mendoza at some point during the 2026 season. Las Vegas is also likely to move on from Cousins after this season, given how his contract is structured and the investment made in Mendoza this offseason.

This gives O'Connell even more value, as keeping him on the roster would address the Raiders' starting and backup quarterback positions for years to come. After years of instability at the position, that is an intriguing possibility for all involved, as it allows Las Vegas to finally eliminate a need.

The National Football League is driven by quarterback play. Usually, teams with the best quarterbacks under center win games consistently. The lack of dependable play from its quarterbacks has singlehandedly doomed multiple seasons. The Raiders refuse to let that be the case any longer.

The Raiders' issues at the position have undoubtedly impacted their most recent batch of signal callers, but much of the blame for Las Vegas' recent failures lies with their lack of a competent quarterback. The Raiders also lacked depth behind those incompetent quarterbacks.

Las Vegas has shuffled through plenty of quarterbacks in recent seasons. Technically, they still have some shuffling left to do when they transition to Mendoza as their starting quarterback sometime this season. However, if the Raiders have it their way, that will be the last shuffle for many, many years.

Time will tell what becomes of Las Vegas' group of quarterbacks beyond the 2026 season, but as of now, they appear to have it figured out for the foreseeable future. In Cousins, the Raiders have a quarterback who can get their rebuild off the ground before Mendoza takes over.

In 2026, O'Connell is an option the Raiders may not use at all, but in 2027 and beyond, he would be a quality backup to Mendoza, should the Raiders keep him. Assuming Las Vegas retains O'Connell, this may be the last season they need to carry three quarterbacks.

The Raiders have watched quarterbacks come and go with little success while in the desert. After upgrading their coaching staff, supporting cast, and adding two new quarterbacks to the group, Las Vegas' front office has reason to believe they have finally figured out the quarterback position.

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