The Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals will both send their starting lineups onto the field Thursday night for the second week of NFL preseason action, with each team's coaching staff confirming that first-team players will see game action before making way for a heavy dose of rookie evaluation, most notably at quarterback.
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters Tuesday that Las Vegas starters will play against Arizona, meaning veteran Kirk Cousins is set to be the first quarterback on the field for the Raiders. But the bigger storyline in Las Vegas centers on No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who is officially slated to make his preseason debut in the matchup, according to NBC Sports.
Kubiak said Mendoza will get plenty of experience in the game, though he did not detail an exact plan for how the rookie's snaps will be divided. There is a chance, Kubiak indicated, that Mendoza could take some reps with the first-team offensive line. Kickoff between the Raiders and Cardinals is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Kubiak On Mendoza's Camp Progress
Kubiak offered an upbeat assessment of Mendoza's training camp when speaking with reporters, saying the rookie has grown throughout the summer despite the natural gap between practice-field execution and live game speed. It's been a really impressive training camp as far as how he's prepared, Kubiak said, according to NBC Sports. And then he goes out there to practice and things don't happen on the drawing, on the paper in the playbook exactly as they do on the field. So, I think he's done a good job of adjusting.
Kubiak added that the standard for all Raiders players, not just Mendoza, is that mistakes made in practice should not be repeated. He noted that Thursday's game will present a new challenge entirely. With all of our players, we just ask that as they gain experience as they make mistakes, they don't make the same mistake twice, Kubiak said. I think he's done a good job of that and now it comes to live bullets, with a live pass rush and that will be a whole 'nother animal.
Mendoza will follow Cousins onto the field once the veteran's series concludes, giving the Raiders coaching staff a chance to evaluate the rookie against a Cardinals defense that will also be fielding significant starting personnel, since Arizona is not planning to hold its top players back either.
Cardinals Plan Limited Snaps For Top Players
Across the field, Arizona coach Mike LaFleur confirmed his team's starters, along with other top roster players who did not appear in the Hall of Fame Game, will play against the Raiders, according to the team's official reporting. LaFleur was clear that the workload will be brief. They're going to play, LaFleur said. How much? It's not going to be much. One drive, max of two for those main guys.
That plan means quarterback Jacoby Brissett will get playing time for the Cardinals, and top draft pick Jeremiyah Love is expected to make his NFL debut in the team's second preseason contest. LaFleur's comments suggest Arizona is treating the game as a limited but necessary tune-up for players who sat out the opening exhibition, rather than a full dress rehearsal.
How much action rookie quarterback Carson Beck will see remains unclear. If the rotation goes as expected with all quarterbacks playing, veteran Gardner Minshew II would come in relief of Brissett, though the Cardinals have not specified how long Minshew would stay on the field once he enters.
The Cardinals enter the matchup dealing with a notable list of absences. Running back James Conner has yet to participate in 11-on-11 work, and the team currently has three players on the physically unable to perform list. Factoring out those four players, the Cardinals did not play 37 players on their roster in last week's game against the Panthers, underscoring how much depth LaFleur's staff still needs to evaluate before final roster decisions. Running back Trey Benson is also not yet practicing, adding another name to Arizona's injury list heading into Thursday's game.
Broadcast And Streaming Details
For fans looking to watch, the Raiders' broadcast will be available in-market only, and viewers are advised to check local listings for availability, according to Raiders.com. Out-of-market fans can access the preseason matchup through NFL+, the league's streaming subscription service available through the NFL app and NFL.com, which also carries live local and primetime regular-season and postseason games.
Raiders.com noted that fans in the team's designated international markets can stream the game for free through direct links provided by the team, subject to geographic restrictions. Pregame coverage will air on Raider Nation Radio 920AM beginning two hours before kickoff as part of the Raiders Opening Drive show, with a 90-minute postgame program, Raiders Extra Point, following the final whistle.
The Raiders have also been documenting their training camp at the Intermountain Health Performance Center, with the roster showing a mix of veterans and newcomers competing for spots, including safety Tristin McCollum, cornerback Eric Stokes, defensive end Maxx Crosby, and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg among those featured in the team's camp coverage.
With both teams committing significant starter snaps and top rookies from this year's draft class set to take the field together, Thursday's preseason matchup carries more evaluative weight than a typical second-week exhibition game. For the Raiders, the central question is how Mendoza handles his first taste of live NFL competition behind Cousins. For the Cardinals, the focus shifts to how quickly LaFleur can get his healthy top players, including Love and Brissett, integrated after a limited workload in the preseason opener.
