Raiders' Kubiak Details Fernando Mendoza’s Progress in Training Camp

It's been a productive and exciting time for the Las Vegas Raiders during training camp, as the coaching staff has learned a lot about what this roster is made of.

Obviously, regardless of what happens, the quarterback position will be the No. 1 topic of discussion from now until the start of the regular season. While speaking with the media on Friday, head coach Klint Kubiak discussed Fernando Mendoza's improvement and that there are no guarantees about who the starter will be.

Kubiak's Thoughts

Jun 9, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak during minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Yeah, he's just continuing to get better. He's improving," Kubiak said. "Every day brings a new challenge - crowd noise today. There's new things that he's learning every day. Again, he's working hard. He's like every other rookie. They're introduced to a whole new level of football, and there's going to be days of failure and days of success. As long as they can keep getting better, that's what we're looking for."

"I mean this honestly, I'm not married to any position," Kubiak said when asked if he is "married" to the idea of starting Kirk Cousins in Week 1 no matter what. "We're a new staff here. We're trying to establish something, and there's got to be competition everywhere, and we'll sit here and let the tape reveal itself. We [have] three NFL-ready quarterbacks."

Main Takeaways

Jun 9, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko (left) talks with quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza (15) and Kirk Cousins (8) during minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Barring Mendoza blowing Cousins out of the water, I don't see a scenario in which the rookie quarterback usurps the veteran as the Week 1 starter. Now, more importantly, the No. 1 overall pick is making strides in his understanding of the offense and executing the play call, which is all the coaching staff can ask for.

As Kubiak said, there will be days when Mendoza is on point, and others when he is off target and uneven. That is completely fine, and quite frankly, you want to see those moments right now. The only way any player can improve is by learning from mistakes, which pushes that individual to work harder and adjust to the situation.

Mendoza is consistently emotional and doesn't allow ups and downs to dictate his performance. This coaching staff wants to win games in 2026, and if Mendoza proves to be the best option, then they should consider him for the starting position. That said, the smart approach is to stay on the course and allow Mendoza to learn from the bench while Cousins takes the reins.

Add us as a preferred source on Google