No rookie QBs are set to start in Week 1 for just the second time in the last 19 seasons

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, 9:35 a.m. The notion that young quarterbacks must wait patiently for their chance to learn the NFL game is largely a thing of the past. That context made the Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to keep No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza on the bench behind Kirk Cousins for the season opener somewhat unusual, even if it was anticipated from the moment he was selected. Mendoza is the first quarterback taken first overall to begin his career as a reserve since Baker Mayfield in 2018. The six No. 1 picks that followed Mayfield all started Week 1 of their rookie seasons. Mayfield entered as a reserve for Cleveland in Week 3 of 2018 and earned his first start the following week. When Mendoza will make his debut remains to be seen. With Mendoza and the Rams’ No. 13 pick, Ty Simpson, both opening the year as backups, 2026 marks only the second time in the last 19 seasons that no rookie quarterback will start the season opener. The previous instance occurred in 2022, when Kenny Pickett was the sole first‑round quarterback, selected 20th by Pittsburgh. Before 2022, the last such season was 2007, when JaMarcus Russell, the first overall pick by the Raiders, held out through the summer, did not sign a contract until after the opener, and did not start a game until the final week of the year. In three of the prior five seasons, three rookie quarterbacks opened the year as starters, reflecting a trend toward quicker promotion as the gap between college and professional play narrows. This tendency has been especially pronounced for No. 1 selections. Mendoza is the 30th quarterback chosen first overall since the common draft began in 1967. Twenty of those 30 started their rookie season as Week 1 starters, and all but one made at least one start during their debut year. The exception was Carson Palmer in 2003, who did not appear for Cincinnati that season before taking over in 2004. Three other first‑overall picks earned their first starts early in their rookie campaigns: Tim Couch in Game 2, and both Mayfield and Alex Smith in Game 5. Michael Vick’s debut start came in the eighth game of 2001. Eli Manning, Jared Goff, Vinny Testaverde and Russell each waited until later in their rookie seasons—Manning and Goff in Game 10, Testaverde in Game 12, and Russell not until the final game. The Raiders will also tie a record by employing a different head coach and a different starting quarterback for the season opener in four straight years. The streak began in 2023 with Josh McDaniels and Jimmy Garoppolo, continued in 2024 with Antonio Pierce and Gardner Minshew, proceeded in 2025 with Pete Carroll and Geno Smith, and now features Klint Kubiak and Kirk Cousins in 2026. The only other franchise to achieve this sequence is the Houston Texans, which rotated Bill O’Brien/Deshaun Watson (2020), David Culley/Tyrod Taylor (2021), Lovie Smith/Davis Mills (2022) and DeMeco Ryans/C.J. Stroud (2023). The 2026 NFL season opens with a Super Bowl rematch, as the defending champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots on Wednesday night. It will be just the third Week 1 Super Bowl rematch in league history. Seattle secured the title with a 29‑13 victory over New England on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium. The prior Week 1 rematches occurred in 2016, when Denver defeated Carolina 21‑20, and in 1970, when Minnesota avenged a loss to Kansas City with a 27‑10 win during the