No rookie quarterbacks to start in NFL Week 1 for just second time in 19 seasons

For only the second time in the last 19 seasons, no rookie quarterback will start in Week 1 of the NFL season. The Las Vegas Raiders decided to bench No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza behind Kirk Cousins, making him the first top draft pick quarterback to start his career as a reserve since Baker Mayfield in 2018. Along with No. 13 pick Ty Simpson of the Los Angeles Rams starting as a backup, this matches a rare occurrence last seen in 2022, and prior to that, in 2007.

The Raiders are also set to tie an NFL record by starting the season with a different head coach and starting quarterback for the fourth consecutive year, matching a streak set by the Houston Texans from 2020 to 2023. Meanwhile, the 2026 season will kick off on a Wednesday with a Super Bowl rematch between the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, marking only the third time in Week 1 history that the previous season's finalists meet immediately.

Veteran quarterbacks are also hitting milestones, as Aaron Rodgers prepares to start his 19th consecutive season opener, tying Drew Brees for the second-most consecutive Week 1 starts in history. Elsewhere, the Buffalo Bills enter the season looking to break a historical slump; they are one of only two teams in NFL history to reach the playoffs in seven straight seasons without making it to the Super Bowl, tying a record set by the Houston Oilers from 1987 to 1993.