Klint Kubiak says Raiders QB2 and QB3 decisions are still open between Aidan O’Connell and Fernando Mendoza

Las Vegas’ quarterback room is entering the season with at least one decision still unsettled. In a question directed to offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the topic was how the Raiders might sort out the pecking order behind the presumed starter, with Aidan O’Connell and rookie Fernando Mendoza positioned as the two most likely options for the backup roles.

The background is that Cousins is widely expected to be the Raiders’ starter, though Kubiak did not name the starting quarterback publicly. That matters for the entire quarterback depth chart, because whatever role the backup earns in the opener can shape reps during the week, how much the team leans on a particular runner in the run-pass option game, and who is most trusted to manage protections in the late-game two-minute script.

Kubiak was specifically asked whether, if Cousins is the starter, the backup would be O’Connell or Mendoza. His response, as reported, was that the decision has not been made. That puts O’Connell and Mendoza in a genuine competition for the most valuable “QB2” job in camp terms, the one tied to the first stream of game action if the starter misses time.

While the report frames Mendoza as potentially starting his rookie season as a third-string quarterback, it also underscores that the club is still working through how to define the first call behind Cousins. In other words, even if Mendoza is more likely to begin behind O’Connell, the Raiders have not locked in a final hierarchy that would remove Mendoza from consideration for earlier involvement.

The situation also reflects how Kubiak appears to be managing quarterback development in a high-stakes NFL environment. Backup quarterbacks do not just hold a clipboard role. They are expected to be ready to lead an offense at full speed when called upon, often after limited live-game repetitions. By keeping the QB2 and QB3 decision open, the Raiders report that practice performance and readiness, not mere placement on a depth chart, will ultimately determine who is closest to the field.

For Raiders fans, the immediate takeaway is procedural but important: until the coaching staff formalizes the roles, the “who backs up the starter” question will remain fluid. The next look will come from the team’s public depth-chart declarations and the distribution of reps in late preseason and early regular-season weeks, where the backup’s assignments become harder to interpret.

In the broader quarterback landscape, this kind of decision affects more than one player. It influences how much game-plan continuity exists from the starter to the backup, how the staff builds quarterback-specific protections and audibles during weekly preparation, and whether the Raiders can stabilize offensive rhythm if they face the common NFL reality of a quarterback needing to miss time for any reason.