The Las Vegas Raiders have already matched last season’s win total. Despite being just six games into the 2026 NFL regular season, the Raiders are at .500 with a 3-3 record entering their Week 7 clash against the 2-4 Los Angeles Rams. The Raiders have already matched last season’s win total (3) with a .500 record to begin 2026GettyIn the 2025 season, they could only muster three wins all years – the joint-fewest in the league – which saw them claim the rights to the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. They used this pick on quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was coming off winning the NCAA Championship after having led the Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated college football season. But the organization’s plan to slowly integrate Mendoza into the NFL was clear early on after the Raiders penned 15-year veteran free agent Kirk Cousins to a five-year deal worth up to $172 million to serve as a bridge starter. The 38-year-old has impressed so far, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,582 yards and 14 touchdowns – tied with Trevor Lawrence and Brock Purdy for the most in the NFL – to just five interceptions on the season. In doing so, he has already nearly matched his numbers from 10 appearances for the Atlanta Falcons the previous year. Mendoza, meanwhile, had to wait until Week 5 to make his regular season debut, albeit seeing the field in garbage time during a 45-17 blowout defeat to the New England Patriots. On debut, he completed six of his eight pass attempts for 48 yards, and earned three first downs. Raiders owner credits Mendoza for how he’s taken to being the backup QBNow, the team could have a Kirk Cousins decision on their hands after dropping their last three games with the veteran under center.However, ahead of the contest against the Rams on Sunday, Raiders majority owner Mark Davis, who is worth an estimated $3.03 billion per Forbes, spoke to the New York Post where he defended head coach Klint Kubiak’s decision to have Mendoza learn the league behind Cousins.In fact, he praised the rookie signal caller for taking everything in his stride as Cousins looks set to continue as QB1 for the foreseeable.“I love his work ethic,” Davis said of Mendoza to The New York Post. “I love that he’s like a sponge in terms of learning.”Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis has been impressed by Kirk Cousins to start the 2026 season, and praises the coaching staff for how they’ve handled Mendoza so farGettyMendoza is currently learning the NFL from the sideline, though he has now made his regular season debutGetty“He wants to be the greatest. He enjoys the game, he’s competitive. “Everything you think of, he’s got. If he can play football, he’s going to be great.”Davis isn’t the only one who shares that believe as former NFL cornerback/safety Jason Bell told talkSPORT in an exclusive interview earlier this month of his strong belief that Mendoza will go on to have an ‘outstanding’ career once he takes to the field as QB1. For now, though, he his biding his time as the experienced Cousins continues to try and stack wins for the Black and Silver, who have made just two playoff appearances – in 2016 and 2021 – since they lost Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003. “Fantastic,” Davis said of Cousins’ impact to the team both on and off the field since his arrival in the summer. “Couldn’t be better.“Just watching him play, he sees the field really well. He goes to his first, second and third reads very consistently, very fast. And he’s a tough SOB. He wants to win.”Until Kubiak and Co. deem Mendoza to be ready to take over the reins, this is Cousins’ team until told otherwise, and the Sin City outfit seem in a better position for it.Sign up for talkSPORT Stateside, the YouTube channel dedicated to passionate US Sports fans. Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith, former NFL star Efe Obada and a collection of special guests debate the biggest talking points across the NFL, soccer, NBA and more.