The Las Vegas Raiders have finally signed No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza to his rookie contract. According to ESPN, Mendoza signed a four-year, $57.27 million fully guaranteed deal with a fifth-year option and can now focus on training camp and the preseason.
Regarding Mendoza, the question many are asking is when the young QB will see the field in the regular season. The expectation is that Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak will go with Kirk Cousins and let Mendoza learn on the sidelines.
Nonetheless, Field Yates noted what Mendoza needs to show in training camp, preseason, and potentially early in the season should he be QB2 to show that he’s ready to take the field as the starter for the Silver and Black.
“There are some physical things that it’s important for Fernando Mendoza to show in training camp,” Yates said on the July 23 edition of “NFL Live.” “Footwork, mechanics, and the things that any young quarterback has to show during his rookie training camp.
“Other than that, though, it’s all about the mental side for Fernando Mendoza because the reality is that, physically, his skill set is superior, perhaps far superior, to Kirk Cousins at this stage of Cousins’ career.
“But Kirk Cousins knows this offense about as well as anybody who’s not on the Raiders coaching staff, including Klint Kubiak and his assistants. I think when you’re dealing with a young quarterback, there’s an innate pressure on that player because he’s the No. 1 overall pick.”
Raiders Having Fernando Mendoza Sit, Watch Isn’t Bad
Moreover, Yates noted that having Mendoza learn on the sidelines isn’t a bad situation. The former Indiana Hoosiers star has the label of being that savior for the Silver and Black so that the franchise can have that QB for the foreseeable future.
“Fans are going to want to see [Mendoza],” Yates added. “Frankly, I want to see him play as soon as possible. But this allows the team to alleviate a little bit of the pressure from Fernando Mendoza and perhaps let him learn some things from the sidelines. You can’t learn it all, but there are some things you can glean from the sidelines.
“It also allows Kirk Cousins, who, even if he’s no longer at the physical peak of his career, still knows this offense well enough to operate it properly. Mendoza can see exactly what goes into this system and eventually add the physical traits he brings to the table. Then this offense can reach the heights it hopes to achieve.”
Las Vegas Is Taking Pressure Off Fernando Mendoza
Moreover, in that same segment, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler noted the sense in the Raiders’ building that they have Cousins as someone they can lean on to start. Fowler also believes the Raiders could follow a similar path to the one the New England Patriots took with Drake Maye.
“When I talk to people with Las Vegas, they say the pressure is off,” Fowler said. “It’s kind of a relief that they don’t have to rush him out there in Week 1, for better or worse. If they have him go through the next three weeks of training camp and he’s not ready, they still don’t have to play him. That would be daunting. But they have Kirk Cousins in place, and sources there say, ‘Look, Cousins is well positioned.’ We’ll see how training camp goes.
“If Mendoza is just lights out over the next month and looks awesome, they have that flexibility to play him. The parallel I like is the 2024 New England Patriots, when they had Drake Maye behind Jacoby Brissett. See how it goes. Play Brissett for four or five games. If they don’t win, you slide the rookie in at that point.”
Once Kubiak decides to throw Mendoza out on the field, there’s no turning back, so having Cousins gives them a buffer to allow them to bring the No. 1 pick at a pace the team feels comfortable with and not putting him out on the field if he’s not ready.
Raiders Get Strong Fernando Mendoza Take After Contract News