If everything goes right, Fernando Mendoza could be the Las Vegas Raiders‘ starting quarterback for the next decade. As the No. 1 pick in the draft, there’s going to be pressure on the team to play him, but the Raiders can afford to be patient.
Mendoza has mostly been working with the second team in training camp, as Kirk Cousins is the starter right now. The rookie got a chance to see some game action in the Raiders’ first preseason game and looked impressive.
It wasn’t enough for the team to give Mendoza first-team reps in practice yet, but they have to be feeling good about their investment. Mendoza could make or break John Spytek’s career as a general manager. He’s watching the quarterback very closely, and so far, he’s been really impressed.
“That’s why we took him at one,” Spytek told NFL insider Charles Robinson. “That’s who he is. That’s who we expected him to be long into the future. We just want to be mindful that we’re doing everything to win games and to take care of our young quarterback. It’s so much bigger than him being ready to play. The whole team’s got to be ready for him to be the leader of it, too.”
Cousins has been in the NFL for over a decade and knows how to lead a team. It makes sense why the Raiders may favor him, at least at the beginning of the season.
Raiders QB Coach Discusses Mendoza
The Raiders almost didn’t have a quarterbacks coach this season, but were able to eventually hire Mike Sullivan. He has coached quarterbacks for a very long time and also has experience as an offensive coordinator.
He opened up about what he’s seen from Mendoza so far.
“He’s someone that I think a lot of his confidence comes from the preparation and the type of time and effort that he puts in,” Sullivan told The Athletic’s Sam Warren. “To really continue to press, to continue to work, to improve, to never be satisfied is a benefit to a quarterback because then they get in situations it doesn’t seem as hard and it doesn’t seem as challenging.”
Sullivan Talks Philosophy With QBs
Quarterback is the most important position on a football team, which is why the Raiders have been so bad in recent years. They have finally stabilized the quarterback room.
Sullivan is still new to the team, but he gave some insight into how he views coaching the quarterback position.
“We try to do everything that we can to enable a quarterback, when he’s called on to perform … he’s not thinking too much. He’s kind of on autopilot,” Sullivan said. “He’s created muscle memory in his footwork, his upper body, his vision. He’s developed that kind of chemistry with his receivers and can anticipate the play call and knows the situation.”
Sullivan has one of the most important jobs on the coaching staff right now. No other coach is working as closely with Mendoza day-to-day. If he can get the rookie playing at a high level, he’ll be employed with the team for a long time.
John Spytek Makes Telling Statement About Fernando Mendoza