The countdown to the start of the NFL season has moved from weeks to days, which means we’re seeing some teams make some final tweaks to their rosters before the regular season begins.
That includes naming winners of quarterback competitions. The Las Vegas Raiders officially named Kirk Cousins the starter on Wednesday, giving him the job over Fernando Menoza. The Dallas Cowboys brought back Joe Milton to the practice squad. Sticking with quarterbacks, Minnesota Vikings General Manager Nolan Teasley spoke about J.J. McCarthy’s role with the team.
Despite dealing with so many injuries, the San Francisco 49ers received positive updates regarding All-Pro edge rusher Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle’s recovery. There’s a chance for both to suit up in Week 1.
Here’s the latest NFL news from around the league on Wednesday.
As the Las Vegas Raiders enter their first season under head coach Klint Kubiak, he and the team stated throughout the offseason that they’d like Kirk Cousins to be the team’s starting quarterback for much of the year. Wednesday afternoon, Kubiak made it official, naming Kirk Cousins as the Raiders’ Week 1 starter over No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
Cousins has bounced around the league, but his history with Kubiak in Minnesota likely played a big role in the coach’s comfort level with him. Over his decade-plus as a starter, Cousins has taken snaps for the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.
Kubiak spoke to reporters about his plan for developing Mendoza now that the young signal-caller is officially starting the season as the backup on Wednesday.
“There’s always early work, late work, more meetings, plenty of time on the field between drills with Coach Sullivan and Coach Janocko,” Kubiak said. “Every player that is not starting the first game, they’re helping us on the look team. We’re just trying to find every edge we can find to continue to get him better and his teammates better.”
Mendoza becomes the first quarterback taken with the No. 1 overall pick not to be named the starter in Week 1 of his rookie season since Baker Mayfield in 2018. The Raiders will host the Miami Dolphins next Sunday afternoon.
Quarterback Joe Milton rejoined the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, signing to the team’s practice squad after clearing waivers. Milton was released earlier this week to accommodate a roster spot for running back Emari Demercado, a move that officially solidified Sam Howell as the primary backup to starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the quarterback decision on Wednesday, pointing to Howell’s execution during camp and preseason action as the deciding factor.
“We looked at the whole body of work,” Schottenheimer said. “We just felt like Sam had done a little bit more just in terms of executing the offense in certain areas.”
Milton served as Prescott’s backup in 2025 after being acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots. Despite a productive preseason where he threw for 378 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, Milton was ultimately edged out by Howell, who holds 18 career regular-season starts and signed a one-year deal with Dallas in free agency.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa participated in a full practice on Wednesday for the first time since tearing his right ACL in Week 3 of last season. Bosa took part in individual drills and team periods after overcoming a training camp setback involving knee tendinitis.
Both Bosa and tight end George Kittle are traveling on the team’s flight to Melbourne, Australia, for the Sept. 10 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Kittle, who is recovering from a torn right Achilles sustained in January’s playoff win, completed multiple positive practice sessions this week prior to departure.
“I’ve just been trying to get it as strong and myself as confident as I can to where I could rip the Band-Aid off and go to team stuff today,” Bosa told reporters following Wednesday’s session. “You hope that your body is going to respond the way that you prepared it to, and there were a couple moments today where that happened.”
When asked if he was going to play against the Rams in Australia, Bosa did not confirm whether or not he would play, but he did respond “after today, yeah, that was pretty good.”
In addition to Bosa and Kittle, San Francisco welcomed wide receiver Mike Evans (adductor), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (finger), and cornerback Ephesians Prysock (shoulder) back to practice Wednesday. Bosa noted his recovery routine for the 16-hour flight includes compression machines and ice as the 49ers prepare for four scheduled practices in Australia ahead of kickoff.
After weeks of speculation, the Minnesota Vikings are expected to keep third-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy on the active roster.
General manager Nolan Teasley spoke to reporters Wednesday afternoon, detailing the team’s long-term vision for McCarthy after he lost the starting job to Kyler Murray. Teasley offered nothing but praise for the former first-round pick.
“McCarthy’s role is to continue to develop, improve and support his teammates,” Teasley said. “He’s done an excellent job of that from the moment I’ve been here and from my understanding since he walked through the front door.”
Asked whether he expects McCarthy to remain on the roster this season, Teasley gave a definitive answer. He declined to comment on depth chart specifics, leaving open the question whether McCarthy will serve as the backup or if that will go to Carson Wentz.
“I do,” Teaseley said. “I wouldn’t necessarily comment on depth immediately, but I’m pleased he’s part of our present version of the Minnesota Vikings and we’re excited about his future.”
The Vikings are set to host the Green Bay Packers next Sunday afternoon, with Murray scheduled to make his first start at U.S. Bank Stadium.
