Klint Kubiak says Cousins remains the starter for now, but admits the team is "thinking about everything" including rookie Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders opened the season 3-0 and looked like they had their quarterback question settled. Four straight losses later, that confidence has cracked. After Sunday's 35-21 loss, head coach Klint Kubiak was asked directly whether Fernando Mendoza, the team's first-overall rookie quarterback, could take over for Kirk Cousins. His answer did not shut the door. "At this point we're thinking about everything," Kubiak said.
Reports since then have been mixed on what that actually means for the week ahead. One account has Kubiak shutting down any talk of an immediate switch, with Cousins remaining the starter and Mendoza staying in the backup role. Another frames it as Cousins' job security taking a real hit, with the coach declining to rule out a change.
Cousins, for his part, sounds at peace with whatever is decided. Asked about the possibility of being replaced, he said his mindset "is really the same every day that it was in March or April," adding, "if I'm not the best option then I don't want to be out there, either. I want our football team to have the best chance to win games."
The Raiders will need to settle the question soon as the losing streak stretches on.