Oct 11, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs the ball against the New England Patriots in the second half quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Jets won’t immediately face the quarterback that they missed out on at the 2026 NFL Draft come Sunday.
The Las Vegas Raiders are sticking with the veteran Kirk Cousins for their Week 8 meeting with Gang Green on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.
Speculation had grown louder that the Raiders were considering a quarterback change after losing four straight games to cancel out a surprising 3-0 start. Cousins has not been the problem, though. In seven games, he’s passed for 1,877 yards, a league-best 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
“There is no controversy,” Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said. “Kirk is playing at a very high level, and he has to continue to do that for us to win, and we have to keep helping all the areas around him… Eventually, Fernando is going to play football. We have a plan, but we don’t have a timeline for that… Fernando is going to play at some point, but it’s not going to be this week.”
Mendoza is the undoubted future in Las Vegas. After winning a national championship and the Heisman Trophy at Indiana, he was taken No. 1 overall by the Raiders after they went 3-14 — the same record as the Jets, but a weaker strength of schedule got them the top selection.
New York took edge rusher David Bailey out of Texas Tech with the No. 2 overall pick after acquiring Geno Smith from the Raiders in March.
Smith is merely a placeholder for when the Jets may have an opportunity to find a franchise quarterback, which is something that has eluded them for decades. While completing 70% of his passes with 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions, Smith and the Jets are 2-5, and concern continues to grow regarding an inability to get star receiver Garrett Wilson the ball.
Cousins and the Raiders will like their chances of snapping their snide. The Jets could not even beat the previously winless Miami Dolphins on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, falling 28-25 and further raising the temperature of head coach Aaron Glenn’s hot seat.
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