Fernando Mendoza was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft out of Indiana after leading the Hoosiers to a national title and winning a Heisman Trophy.
Despite that, Mendoza isn’t playing so far this season for the team that drafted him, the Las Vegas Raiders.
In Week 1, the Raiders started Kirk Cousins in a 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Cousins gets the start again in Week 2.
Clearly an accomplished NFL quarterback, Cousins outperformed his own Big Ten draft stock. He was the second QB taken by Washington in the same draft they first got Robert Griffin III — but it was the former Michigan State Spartans quarterback Cousins who panned out in the long run.
He has since played for the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons before arriving in Las Vegas this season.
Cousins’ obvious purpose for this year is to mentor Mendoza. But in the early going, that also means starting over Mendoza.
Why Isn’t Fernando Mendoza Playing?
Mendoza isn’t playing simply because the Raiders are taking the long path with him.
As the team that just had the first pick, it’s clear that they aren’t an immediate Super Bowl contender. The last thing they need is to mess up Mendoza by playing him too early.
The Raiders have a strong tight end, Brock Bowers, although he’s injured. They also have their obvious RB1, Ashton Jeanty.
The wide receivers and offensive line don’t inspire a ton of confidence, though. It’s a situation that could, if it went poorly, hurt Mendoza’s development.
It’d be shocking for him to be on the sideline the whole season. It’ll make sense for him to play at some point.
It just isn’t happening yet. He can watch and learn from Cousins in the hopes of hitting the ground running when the job is indeed handed to him.
Fernando Mendoza in his Helmet
Mendoza wore his helmet the entire time the Raiders were on offense in Week 1. He told reporters that it allowed him to feel like he was preparing for each play the same way Cousins did.
That’s an example of what makes this Mendoza plan likely to work just fine for the Raiders. He wants to be as prepared as possible. He’s embracing this opportunity to stand on the sideline and see how things work.
Some players might mope, but not Mendoza. He knows that the big picture is all that matters, and so he’ll keep listening to the play calls so that he’s ready when his name itself is called.
Why Fernando Mendoza Isn’t Playing After Indiana 1st Pick to Raiders