With Kirk Cousins and Raiders soaring, will Fernando Mendoza start at all in 2026?

Of all the storylines that have sprawled across the NFL world through the first two weeks of the regular season, few have proven as surprising as this baffling stat: the Raiders are 2-0.

Las Vegas rebuilt its quarterback room ahead of the 2026 season, bringing in Fernando Mendoza via the NFL Draft and Kirk Cousins through free agency. Cousins captured the starting job to kick off the season. He has performed admirably in the post since then, producing touchdowns in bunches as the Raiders swept aside the Dolphins and Chargers.

When viewing Las Vegas' QB depth chart before the season, many expected that Cousins would eventually give way to Mendoza. Cousins' recent outings appear to have changed that calculus, at least for a fleeting moment. Here's what you need to know.

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Will Fernando Mendoza start at all in 2026?

Cousins has enjoyed a resurgence in the opening two games of the season, amassing six touchdowns. His performance against the Chargers was especially impressive — Cousins tallied 253 yards and three scores against a Los Angeles that surrendered the ninth-fewest points per game last year.

The 38-year-old has been at the heart of Las Vegas' unbeaten start to the season, finding success at the head of Kubiak's attack. He also appears to have made himself an indispensable part of the Raiders' locker room.

There are warts in Cousins' game, to be sure. He can be overzealous in some of his reads, tallying interceptions in each fixture this year. He's also nowhere near as mobile as Mendoza, a limitation that comes to focus anytime opposition teams flood his pocket.

Still, the numbers don't lie. Cousins is one of two quarterbacks to record at least three touchdowns in each of his two games this season. He's the first quarterback to accomplish that feat in silver and black since Ken Stabler in 1976.

Naturally, some might wonder where that leaves Mendoza. The No. 1 pick possesses similar traits to Cousins, albeit in a younger form. He figures to be Kubiak's man in due time. For now, though, Cousins should be considered the firm favorite to maintain his place at the head of Las Vegas' attack.

That's hardly a bad thing for Kubiak and Co. The idea behind starting the year with Mendoza as a backup was that he would get the opportunity to learn the finer details of the game away from the spotlight. Cousins' play gives Mendoza all the more opportunity to get himself familiarized with Kubiak's play scripts from the sidelines.

Cousins appears to have lengthened his leash with his play in recent weeks. Las Vegas upcoming slate could present him with some resistance — matchups with the Saints, Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, Rams, Jets, 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos all look daunting. If Cousins' play was to sour, that could be a platform for Mendoza to get the nod under center. A road matchup against the Browns on Nov. 29 — one week before the Raiders' bye week — looks the most appealing to insert the young hurler in should Cousins fall out of favor.

Given the elder statesmen's current play, though, one would expect that Kubiak won't be too concerned about giving Mendoza the keys. Nothing about the Indiana product's demeanor suggests that he will feel too hard done by Cousins getting starts, especially not if Cousins continues making franchise history.