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By Jordan Sigler
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The Las Vegas Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, believing he'd be their quarterback of the future, but that doesn't mean new head coach Klint Kubiak intends to start him right away.
In free agency, the Raiders signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a deal worth up to $172 million over five years. Cousins, 37, gives Las Vegas some flexibility at quarterback while Kubiak develops Mendoza.
Mendoza was a starting quarterback for two years in college, one year with Cal before transferring to Indiana in 2025 and leading the Hoosiers to a national championship. While he played his way to becoming the top quarterback in the 2026 draft class, he has much to improve upon before he's ready to start for the Raiders.
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Per Ryan McFadden of ESPN, Mendoza took reps with the second and third teams during OTAs this spring. Las Vegas needs to see Mendoza master the art of running the offense while playing under center instead of predominantly playing in shotgun, and that means getting his footwork right.
"The Raiders have been patient with Mendoza's adjustment to the next level, having him play mostly with the second and third teams during OTAs and minicamp," McFadden wrote. "He has impressed many in the building with his work ethic, leadership qualities and ability to quickly find open targets for completions.
"At the same time, he's had his fair share of growing pains, especially when playing under center, and mastering the footwork that comes with it. With veteran Kirk Cousins on the roster, the Raiders don't feel like they need to rush Mendoza."
Mendoza will have a chance to show improvement with his footwork during training camp and the preseason, but it's unlikely he'll be ready to beat out Cousins before the Raiders host the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 on Sept. 13. Learning to play under center is a serious issue for many rookie quarterbacks used to playing mostly out the shotgun in college.
While Mendoza might be itching to start, learning behind Cousins should be beneficial for his career. He'll get a chance to play when he's ready to lead the offense instead of learning on the fly in his rookie season.
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