The Las Vegas Raiders recently returned home from the NFL Combine. They had an opportunity to meet with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in Indianapolis . It was another step toward selecting Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The Raiders won't just have a new starting quarterback in 2026. The expectation is they'll also have a new backup QB, too. Geno Smith is expected to be traded or released this offseason. Kenny Pickett is a pending free agent and isn't expected back, though Aidan O'Connell remains under contract for now.
New head coach Klint Kubiak will probably want to hand-pick his backup quarterback. One underrated option is veteran QB Brandon Allen . Allen played last season for the Tennessee Titans . On that Titans staff were two new Raiders staffers in Mike McCoy and Nick Holz .
Kubiak hired Holz, a former long-term Raiders staffer, as his passing game coordinator. McCoy is the assistant head coach . In 2025, McCoy was Allen's interim head coach, and Holz was his offensive coordinator. They helped choose him to support Cam Ward , another No. 1 overall pick.
Allen is familiar with the offensive system. That makes him an excellent candidate to support and help Mendoza acclimate to the playbook in training camp. That's the type of backup quarterback the Raiders will prefer this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders could bring in familiar QB to back up Fernando Mendoza
