Will Fernando Mendoza be prepared to claim the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback position from Kirk Cousins by the start of the 2026 NFL season?
While there is excitement and expectation that the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has the tools to lead the franchise into the future, the real question is when will he get a chance to be the man in Vegas? Following rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp, Mendoza knows he has a lot of work to do, he also knows he has progressed tremendously in his transition from the college game to the speed of the pro level.
There is still much work to do with training camp looking him in the eye come July, but the pressure is not as extreme with a veteran like Cousins in the QB room. That doesn’t mean the expectations aren’t high for the fans of an organization that has been starving for a signal caller of the future. That also doesn’t mean the expectations for Mendoza himself aren’t high.
In assessing where he is at in this stage of development, Mendoza feels he has already improved his game.
“Well, I think there’s always a transition, especially from the college level to the NFL level, and it’s having those positive stressors and that growing period, and there’s going to be some growing pains,” Mendoza told reporters on June 9.
“And luckily I feel confident that I’m able to see the field well, and that my growing pains are coming from, ‘Hey, I’ve got to time up my footwork a little better with the routes,’ and intricacies here and there, and I’m really working hard with coaching staff who’s pushing me and have done a phenomenal job of relaying and communicating the information needed, and it’s up to me to take full advantage of that, and I feel like I’ve been growing every day from the first day of OTAs, then today in minicamp, I feel like I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I was.”
Is Fernando Mendoza accelerating the Raiders' quarterback timeline?
With Cousins serving more as his competition (rather than his mentor) and new head coach Klint Kubiak really putting the rookie in position to be successful when he does get his opportunity, Mendoza really holds all the cards in his hands as to when he takes the baton from the veteran. If his confidence continues to shine and he not only continues to learn, but excels at what the coaches throw his way, he’ll put Kubiak in a position where he will have to think about starting the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner on Day 1.
Well, that’s not really a decision Kubiak nor the Raiders as a franchise will be afraid to make. As far as the head coach’s assessment of Mendoza, he agrees with the young quarterback in how he has progressed.
"He's gotten a ton better, putting the work in," Kubiak said. "I think it is an adjustment, but with anyone coming into the league, you got to put the work into it and he's done that. We're going to ask him to play under center, we're going to ask him to play in the gun, we're going to ask him to play in the pistol. All of our quarterbacks. That's not just us, that's a leaguewide thing.
"But the things we've asked him to improve on, he's been diligent at."
Mendoza's diligence and commitment to personal growth were key factors in his successful transition from the University of California to the University of Indiana. The primary challenge he now faces in his first year is how efficiently he can adapt his game to align with Kubiak’s system. Can he be the best option by the end of training camp?
If so, it won’t be the first time Cousins lost a starting role to a rookie, only this time it’s the No. 1 overall pick ready to prove his time is now rather than later. That is something the franchise is craving and so are the fans.
