After a few seasons with an uncertain quarterback situation, the Las Vegas Raiders had a now-or-never situation going into the 2026 season. The biggest move came when the team selected Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, the reigning Heisman trophy winner, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Surprisingly, coach Klint Kubiak announced his decision not to start Mendoza in Week 1, dividing fans.
However, CBS Sports NFL Analyst and former Raiders CEO Amy Trask was one person who sided with Kubiak's choice.
"I like the decision to sit Fernando," Trask said on CBS . "You drafted him with the No. 1 pick, presumably because you believe him to be your quarterback of the future. So you need to balance short-term with long-term. And my understanding is that Klint Kubiak is putting an emphasis on long-term planning, long-term success. And I think that speaks highly of Klint. Sit Fernando; there's a number of variables as to when you should be starting him. You can take all those variables into account and make the decision when it's right."
Instead of Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders will start veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins on September 13. This duo will be pivotal to the Raiders' comeback plans after two of the worst seasons in recent years, when they went on a 4-13 record in 2024 and then the worst record of 3-14 last season.
Trask, the Raiders' CEO from 1997 to 2013, pointed out that sitting Mendoza doesn't necessarily hurt him, but it ensures the Raiders tune him to every variable and aspect of playing at a high level.
This also makes sense, considering how the two, along with Aidan O'Connell, played during the three preseason games when the Raiders went 1-2. While Kubiak was "really happy" with all three quarterbacks, Cousins had the upper hand with a 76.5 completion percentage in passing for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Whereas Mendoza threw 25 of 45 passes for 240 yards and one touchdown, but threw interceptions in both Week 2 and Week 3 of the preseason. Another reason for Kubiak's decision is the experience that Cousins brings to the offense, having started 167 games in the NFL and being a four-time Pro Bowl star going into his 15th year in the league.
"He needs another three preseason games," Kubiak said of Mendoza after the third preseason game. "All those rookies do. Now that the season is starting, the practice reps get smaller, and that's just life."
With Mendoza not starting the Week 1 game, it makes him the first No. 1 overall pick quarterback since Baker Mayfield in 2018 to not start the season, with Kyler Murray (2019), Joe Burrow (2020), Trevor Lawrence (2021), Bryce Young (2023), Caleb Williams (2024), Cam Ward (2025) all starting in the very first game.
However, this is definitely not a setback for the 22-year-old.
While Mendoza led his team to a national championship, became the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and won the 2025 Heisman Memorial Trophy, adapting to the NFL is another ballgame, and Kubiak knows that. With Cousins acting as a bridge to help Mendoza reach that level, he would need to continue focusing on how to deal with defensive schemes and his ability to play when under center.
But this long-term route isn't the first time an NFL team has eyed it, as there have been examples of such waiting games before. The Green Bay Packers are the pinnacle of that example, keeping quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love as the backup for several seasons before starting them.
Additionally, two of the best quarterbacks in the league currently – three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes and three-time first-team All-Pro Lamar Jackson – both had to wait for their chance to shine.
Fernando Mendoza's NFL journey has only begun.
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