Raiders Training Camp Is Open, Cousins Has the Reins, and Boomers Has the TVs Ready

Silver and Black reported to Henderson this week for the start of 2026 training camp. Kirk Cousins is QB1 for now, rookie Fernando Mendoza is pushing him, and Maxx Crosby says he is ready to roll. Here is the camp rundown and why we already miss football season.

Camp is officially open in Henderson

Raiders players filed into the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson on Tuesday, July 28, and just like that, training camp is a real thing again instead of a date circled on somebody's calendar. First-year head coach Klint Kubiak ran his first camp media day as the guy in charge, and he set the tone early by talking about competition at pretty much every spot on the roster, not just the marquee one.

For a bar that lives and dies a little by Sundays in the fall, camp opening is basically our version of pitchers and catchers reporting. It means the patio TVs are about to earn their keep again, the fight over the good corner booth by the big screen starts back up, and regulars start asking us when we are doing the season pass giveaway. Short answer, soon. Longer answer, keep reading camp updates with us because that is half the fun before the games actually count.

Cousins is QB1, but Mendoza is not just standing around

The camp storyline everybody wanted an answer on got one fast. Kubiak confirmed veteran Kirk Cousins will run the first-team offense to open camp, giving him the early edge in the quarterback room. That is not exactly a shock given Cousins' experience, but it also is not the end of the conversation, because Fernando Mendoza, the number one overall pick out of Indiana and last season's Heisman winner, is going to see real snaps with the starters too.

Mendoza has been careful about how he frames it, saying the point of the room is pushing each other to be the best possible quarterbacks rather than treating it like a rivalry where guys hold information back. Kubiak has echoed that, saying he wants Cousins, Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell all getting first-team work in camp and that he would be comfortable handing the ball to any of the three if their name gets called. That is coach speak for real competition, not a formality, and it is exactly the kind of storyline that makes August practices worth following even before a single preseason snap gets played.

Crosby says he is a full go, no more restrictions

The other big camp update, and arguably the one that matters most for the defense, is Maxx Crosby's knee. The All-Pro edge rusher played through the injury for most of last season before having meniscus surgery in January. Kubiak told reporters this week that Crosby is ready for the start of camp and will take full, unrestricted first-team reps, a real step up from the offseason program when he was limited to stretching with teammates before heading inside.

Crosby has been saying for months that he expects to come back better than ever, and now he actually gets to prove it on the field instead of in interviews. A healthy Crosby chasing quarterbacks changes the whole complexion of that defense, and honestly it changes our TV volume too, because that guy gets loud reactions out of a bar crowd even on a random August scrimmage.

Roster churn is already underway

Camp openings always come with a wave of smaller moves, and this year is no different. The team added depth pieces including a defensive end, a linebacker and a receiver in the days before camp opened, while trimming a few names off the roster to make room. None of it is headline material on its own, but it is the kind of churn that shapes who is actually on the field come preseason, and it is worth watching if you like knowing the depth chart before your buddy who only checks in during Week 1.

What to watch as Raiders camp rolls on

If you are the type who tracks camp battles like a fantasy draft board, here is what to keep an eye on before preseason football gives us something official to yell about.

1. The QB1 conversation: Cousins opens camp on top, but Kubiak has made clear the door is not closed if Mendoza or O'Connell force the issue.
2. Crosby's snap count: Watch whether the staff eases him in early or lets him go full speed right away like Kubiak suggested.
3. The new additions: Recent camp signings at defensive end, linebacker and receiver still need to earn real roster spots.
4. Joint practices and preseason dates: The first full preseason week starts Aug. 13, which is when camp battles start turning into actual football.
5. Mendoza's rookie learning curve: He has said he is leaning on Cousins and the coaching staff rather than treating camp like a personal duel.
6. Our TV lineup at Boomers: We will have every camp scrimmage and preseason game on somewhere in the building, so grab your usual seat before someone else does.

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