The Raiders’ quarterback competition is not being framed as Kirk Cousins versus Fernando Mendoza.
Not yet.
Head coach Klint Kubiak made clear this week that Aidan O’Connell remains firmly in the mix, giving Las Vegas a true three-quarterback competition heading into training camp. Cousins brings the veteran resume. Mendoza brings the rookie spotlight. O’Connell brings experience, command and, according to Kubiak, a spring that should not be ignored.
“I would not count Aidan out,” Kubiak said. “Aidan’s had a phenomenal offseason. He’s a professional. He’s pushing Kirk. He’s pushing Fernando.”
That was the most newsworthy thing Kubiak said. The Raiders may have added Cousins and drafted Mendoza, but the current room still includes a holdover who has started games and handled plenty of change.
Three quarterbacks, one real competition
Kubiak said the Raiders will not stage a fake competition once camp begins. The staff plans to give Cousins, Mendoza and O’Connell work with the first-team offense.
“We’ve just got to give them reps and make sure all three of those guys get time with the ones, and it’ll reveal itself,” Kubiak said.
That line matters because it turns the story from theory into logistics. The Raiders do not just have three quarterbacks on the roster. Kubiak is saying all three must get the kind of reps that allow the staff to evaluate them fairly.
He also made it clear he trusts the room if the Raiders had to play immediately.
“But if we went and played the game tomorrow, I would take any one of those three quarterbacks,” Kubiak said. “I’m really excited about all three of them.”
Mendoza’s real test is coming
Kubiak did not pretend the staff can learn everything about Mendoza in shorts and helmets. The rookie quarterback has shown enough to stay in the conversation, but Kubiak pointed to preseason games and joint work against Houston as the next real checkpoints.
“I think we’re going to find out about that in the preseason, when we go play games,” Kubiak said.
The Raiders also have a joint practice with the Texans on the schedule, and Kubiak said that setting will help the staff measure where Mendoza really stands.
“When we go practice against the Texans, we’ll get a good feel for it, going against a different opponent than the Raiders,” Kubiak said.
For Mendoza, Kubiak said the evaluation will focus on the full operation.
“How he’s handling the huddle, how he’s handling the line of scrimmage,” Kubiak said. “I think seeing the live, in-game or practice versus another opponent will be a big first step.”
That is the correct bar for a rookie. Arm talent matters, but command decides how fast he can play.
O’Connell keeps forcing the issue
The most interesting part may still be O’Connell.
He does not have Cousins’ resume. He does not have Mendoza’s draft spotlight. Yet Kubiak keeps putting him back into the conversation because his offseason has demanded it.
Kubiak called O’Connell a professional and said he has pushed both quarterbacks ahead of him in the public conversation. That is not a throwaway line. It is a warning that the Raiders are not treating him like a roster placeholder.
The quarterback math can get interesting fast if O’Connell carries this spring into camp.
Kubiak still wants proof in pads
Kubiak was careful not to crown anyone or overstate what the Raiders have learned during the offseason program.
“You don’t know until you put pads on,” Kubiak said.
That applies to the quarterbacks, the receivers, the offensive line and the defense. The coach said the Raiders will get a much clearer feel once training camp begins and the team later practices against Houston.
“I think really, when we go to Houston and practice against an elite defense there with DeMeco, we’re going to have a really good feel for where we’re headed,” Kubiak said.
For now, the Raiders have a quarterback room that is deeper than a two-man storyline. They have a head coach willing to let the competition breathe. They have a rookie who must prove it under real pressure, a veteran in Cousins and a holdover who refuses to disappear.
Rob Leonard’s defense has a clear checklist
Kubiak also gave a clearer picture of what he wants from defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.
Kubiak said Leonard impressed him during the interview process with a defined plan and a defensive vision influenced by what Kubiak saw last season in Seattle.
“I just saw a coach with a vision that knew where he wanted to go and implement a style of defense,” Kubiak said.
The checklist was direct: stop the run, limit explosive passes and take the ball away.
“I think every defense is going to say a version of that,” Kubiak said. “But it’s really important that if you limit explosive plays, stop the run and turn the ball over, you’re going to have success.”
That gives Raiders fans something more concrete than scheme labels. Kubiak wants a defense that forces opponents to earn every yard, then steals possessions when mistakes come.
Tucker, Nailor, Bowers and Benson stand out
Kubiak also named several offensive skill players who stood out during the offseason program.
Trey Tucker was first.
“I knew Trey was a good player, but he’s done a heck of a job in the offseason,” Kubiak said. “He can just run all day.”
Kubiak also praised Jalen Nailor, who came over from Minnesota, and highlighted Brock Bowers while noting that Bowers is a tight end, not a receiver.
“Brock is a tight end, but he does a little bit of both,” Kubiak said. “He’s been excellent.”
Rookie Malik Benson also drew praise after joining the receiver room.
“Malik Benson has done a phenomenal job coming in,” Kubiak said.
Kubiak stopped short of declaring roles because pads have not come on yet. Still, the early list says plenty about what the Raiders want: speed, space and players who can stress defenses in different ways.
The Raiders are still in the prove-it stage
Kubiak’s message was consistent. The Raiders like the work, but they are not pretending June answers September questions.
The quarterback competition has to move from controlled practice to live evaluation. The defense has to show it can stop the run, limit explosive plays and take the ball away. The young receivers have to keep showing up when contact enters the picture.
Training camp will sort out the order.
Kubiak just made clear all three quarterbacks will get enough work to affect it.
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Raiders QB room gets real as Cousins, Mendoza, O’Connell compete
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
