No rookie QBs are set to start in
Week 1 for just the second time in the last 19 seasons
[September 08, 2026]
By JOSH DUBOW
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The days of young quarterbacks patiently
waiting for their turn to take over after they learn the NFL game
are mostly a thing of the past.
That's what made the Las Vegas Raiders ' decision to keep No. 1
overall pick Fernando Mendoza on the bench to start the season
behind Kirk Cousins a little unusual, even if it was telegraphed
from the moment he was picked.
Mendoza is the first quarterback taken No. 1 overall to start his
career on the bench since Baker Mayfield in 2018, with the last six
since then earning Week 1 starts. Mayfield came in as a reserve for
Cleveland in Week 3 that season and made his first start the
following week. When Mendoza does it remains to be seen.
But with Mendoza and No. 13 pick Ty Simpson of the Los Angeles Rams
starting the season as reserves, this marks just the second time in
the last 19 seasons that no rookie quarterback will start the season
opener. It also happened in 2022, when Kenny Pickett was the only QB
taken in the first round when he went 20th to Pittsburgh.
Before that, it hadn't happened since 2007 when JaMarcus Russell was
drafted first overall by the Raiders. He held out that summer and
didn't sign a contract until after the opener. He didn't start that
season until the final game.
There were three rookie quarterbacks starting the opener in three of
the previous five seasons as teams have become quicker to turn over
the reins as the differences between the college and pro games have
lessened.
That's been especially true of No. 1 picks for a long time.
Mendoza is the 30th quarterback taken first overall since the start
of the common draft era in 1967. Twenty of those QBs started the
season opener as rookies and all but one made at least one start in
their first year, with only Carson Palmer in 2003 missing out.
Palmer didn't play at all that season for Cincinnati before taking
over in 2004.
Three others made their first starts early with Tim Couch (Game 2),
Mayfield and Alex Smith (Game 5) getting the chance in the opening
weeks. Michael Vick made his first start in the eighth game in 2001,
while Eli Manning (Game 10), Jared Goff (Game 10), Vinny Testaverde
(Game 12) and Russell didn't get the chance until late in their
rookie seasons.
The Raiders also will tie a record by having a different head coach
and different starting quarterback for the opener in four straight
seasons. The streak started in 2023 with coach Josh McDaniels and
quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, followed by Antonio Pierce and Gardner
Minshew in 2024, Pete Carroll and Geno Smith in 2025 and now Klint
Kubiak and Cousins.
The only other team to do that was the Houston Texans from 2020-23,
with coach Bill O'Brien and Deshaun Watson the first year, followed
by David Culley and Tyrod Taylor, Lovie Smith and Davis Mills, and
DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud.
Patriots and Seahawks open season in latest Super Bowl rematch
The 2026 season will start the same way the last season ended seven
months ago.
The defending champion Seattle Seahawks will open the season at home
on Wednesday night against the New England Patriots in just the
third Super Bowl rematch ever in Week 1. The Seahawks won the title
with a 29-13 win on Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium.
The only other times there was a Week 1 Super Bowl rematch came in
2016 when defending champion Denver beat Carolina 21-20 and in the
first year of the merger when Minnesota avenged a loss to Kansas
City with a 27-10 victory in 1970.
[to top of second column] |
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws under
pressure from San Francisco 49ers linebacker Jaden Dugger (53)
during the second half of an NFL preseason football game, Thursday,
Aug. 27, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
In all, this will be the 12th time the two teams
that played in the Super Bowl meet the following season, with the
champion having won eight of the previous 11 matchups, including
Philadelphia's win over Kansas City in Week 2 last season.
These rematches have become more common since the
addition of the 17th game that adds another interconference game
between defending division champions. This will be the fourth
straight season there's been a Super Bowl rematch. There were none
from 1998-2013.
This will be just the second time the NFL starts on
a Wednesday. The other came in 2012 when the Dallas Cowboys visited
the New York Giants. The game was moved from its usual Thursday spot
that year because President Barack Obama was set to speak that night
at the Democratic National Convention.
Rodgers, Stafford extend opening start streaks
Aaron Rodgers is set to start his 19th straight season opener since
taking over the job in Green Bay in 2008. Rodgers will tie Drew
Brees for the most consecutive starts in Week 1 when Pittsburgh
hosts Atlanta. Brees' streak went from 2002-20.
The only quarterback with more Week 1 starts than Rodgers and Brees
was Tom Brady, who had 20. But he missed the start in 2016 when he
was serving a suspension for his involvement in Deflategate.
Rodgers will be 42 years and 285 days old on Sunday, making him the
second-oldest quarterback to stat a season opener. Brady did it from
ages 43 to 45 in 2020-22.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is close behind as he
is set to start his 18th straight season opener against the San
Francisco 49ers on Thursday in Australia.
Bills look to get over the hump
The Buffalo Bills head into the season as the favorites to win the
AFC East but the question is can they go deeper in the playoffs for
a change.
Buffalo is one of two teams in NFL history to make the playoffs in
seven straight seasons without reaching a Super Bowl. The Houston
Oilers also did it from 1987-93.
The Bills lost in the divisional round to Denver last season,
marking the fourth time in five years they lost in that round. They
also lost to Kansas City in the AFC title game in the 2020 and ‘24
seasons and in the wild-card round in 2019. Buffalo hasn’t been to
the Super Bowl since losing four straight trips in the 1990-93
seasons.
There have been 10 other streaks of at least seven straight playoff
berths in the Super Bowl era, with only the 1973-80 Los Angeles Rams
failing to win a title. They made the Super Bowl in the 1979 season
on their seventh straight playoff run, losing to Pittsburgh.
___
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