Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders
A month ago, the Las Vegas Raiders were still one of the NFL’s few remaining undefeated teams at 3-0. Unfortunately, Klint Kubiak’s team has lost the past four games and is now sitting one below .500 at 3-4. With the season heading in the wrong direction, despite Kirk Cousins’ stellar play, some are already calling for Fernando Mendoza to get his shot at the starting job.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has seen action in just one game thus far, but Mendoza performed well. The rookie completed 6-of-8 passes for 48 yards, picking up three first downs in the process. Now, could the Raiders pivot to the first-year pro and dangle Cousins on the trade block?
Pete Prisco Advises Las Vegas Raiders to Turn to Fernando Mendoza
Las Vegas Raiders
Oct 11, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs the ball against the New England Patriots in the second half quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While Cousins is playing well, ranking first in passing touchdowns among all NFL QBs, the Raiders know the 38-year-old is not the long-term solution in Vegas. Rather, if this season goes off the rails, it would benefit the team much more by evaluating Mendoza’s talent. Is he already ready to take over as the franchise quarterback?
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports believes it’s time for the Raiders to turn to Mendoza. He made his case shortly after the Raiders’ 35-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
“The Raiders have lost four straight. Remember, they were the talk in the early part of the year. We said, let’s not get too excited about this year because what they’re doing is building to the future. So now, the future seems better than their current right now for the Raiders. Which means the future needs to start playing. I’m not going to blame Kirk Cousins for this game because he threw for 295, two touchdowns, no picks. It wasn’t awful. But at some point, it’s time to get Mendoza into the lineup and that time is coming, soon.”
Should the Raiders play Fernando Mendoza soon? 🤔 @PriscoCBS says YES! #NFLPostgame https://t.co/Zk3X4Cc2WU
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 26, 2026
As noted, Cousins isn’t coming off a bad game. If the Raiders hadn’t lost four in a row, no one would be talking about putting Mendoza into the lineup. Yet, whether it’s Cousins’ fault or not, eventually the Raiders need to look in the mirror and determine what’s best for them. As many wins as possible in 2026, even if that means just missing the playoffs? Or throwing Mendoza into the deep end and seeing if this kid already knows how to swim? That’s the course the Raiders are currently navigating behind closed doors.