fernando mendoza
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Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.
Prior to free agency, there were many in the media suggesting that the Las Vegas Raiders should trade the No. 1 pick and pass on the chance to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The reasoning was that the team doesn’t have enough pieces to set him up for success.
Well, at the start of free agency, the Raiders gave a historic contract to center Tyler Linderbaum, which should immediately improve the offensive line. The team has also been very aggressive in upgrading the defense in free agency.
That’s not to mention that the Raiders also signed wide receiver Jalen Nailor. With those moves in mind, it’s clear that Las Vegas is going to take Mendoza with the No. 1 pick. ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes that’s a done deal and gave some insight into how the Raiders plan to roll out Mendoza.
“The plan is not to rush him,” Schefter said on “Get Up.” “Now, that doesn’t mean he won’t wind up as the starting quarterback. Again, we’re six months from games. But in a perfect world … they’d like to have the backup quarterback ready for opening day. We’ve heard many teams say that, and the No. 1 overall pick comes in, and they can’t help themselves, and they can’t resist, and he starts on opening day.
They can say whatever they want six months in advance, but in the interim, they’re building their roster to set it up for … when Fernando Mendoza does start, whether that’s Week 1, Week 8, or Week 16. They are getting the center, they’re building up the defense, there’s a lot of work to do. … They went on a shopping spree that was unrivaled everywhere but Tennessee yesterday.”
Should Raiders Wait to Start Mendoza?
In the past, teams would always wait to get their rookie quarterbacks on the field. Now, teams are much less patient, especially with No. 1 picks. It’s easy to understand why.
No. 1 picks get a lot of hype, and there’s a lot of fan pressure to see them play. Considering their current quarterback situation, it’s hard to imagine Mendoza isn’t the Week 1 starter for the Raiders.
Does Klint Kubiak really want to call plays for Aidan O’Connell or Kirk Cousins in Week 1? 2026 isn’t about winning for the Raiders. It’s about steadying the ship and seeing what they have in Mendoza. Even if he struggles, those reps are valuable. That said, minority owner Tom Brady is going to have a big say in Mendoza’s development, and he threw only three passes during his rookie season. He could favor a more patient approach.
Mendoza Is Likely Ready to See the Field
Mendoza isn’t one of those quarterbacks who is a big project. He played in 36 games in college, and some of those games were huge, including last season’s National Championship game.
He’s also a very smart player who should quickly adapt to NFL schemes. It’s easy to understand why the Raiders would want to play it safe, but it’s going to be difficult to keep Mendoza on the field, especially if he looks far better than their other quarterback options.