The Las Vegas Raiders are going to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and they want to make sure he’s ready when it’s time for his number to be called.
In exactly eight days, the Las Vegas Raiders will turn in their card for the No. 1 pick. As we all know, the Raiders are likely to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, making him the future franchise QB.
But, there is a big chance Mendoza doesn’t see the field early in his rookie season, if at all. Early in the pre-draft process, head coach Klint Kubiak stated he prefers a veteran quarterback
play over a rookie quarterback. That was before the Raiders signed 37-year-old QB Kirk Cousins
. Now General Manager John Spytek
is doubling down on the same ideology.
“Well, ultimately this is a meritocracy, and the best guy will play," Spytek told reporters. "It’s just really hard to play really well at a young age, but we’ve seen plenty of quarterbacks do it recently, and how that goes going forward here, obviously, we added Kirk [Cousins], we have Aidan [O’Connell], and we’ll see how it goes, but thebest man will play.”
Cousins has extensive NFL experience and will be ready for Week 1, both mentally and physically. Rookie quarterbacks are not always mentally ready.
Mendoza has been studying the offensive scheme for some time now. His pre-draft meetings with the Raiders have served as minor installs. This is something you love for your rookie quarterback to be ahead of. However, you can prepare as much as you want, but still not be ready for the real thing. The jump from college to the NFL is big, and getting ready for that requires more than just mental prep. - It requires experience as well.
Not only does Cousins have the experience, but he also performed well last season, all things considered. (enter stats here).
With Cousins at quarterback, the Raiders can win games while Mendoza prepares for 2027 and beyond. If needed due to injury, Mendoza should be ready, having learned from Cousins through the offseason and training camp. All three-Spytek, Cousins, and Kubiak-have stated they want the best man to play. If that’s the case, unfortunately for some of the fanbase, that means Cousins is likely to be the Week 1 starter.
That doesn't mean Mendoza isn't the future because he is.
