The Las Vegas Raiders are turning to Fernando Mendoza as their new starting quarterback after trading Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 10 in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick.
Mendoza is stepping into a team that still has something to play for this season. At 4-5, the Raiders remain in the playoff conversation, and a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 would bring them to .500 at 5-5 and keep their postseason hopes alive.
Ahead of the first regular-season start for Mendoza, Prime Video’s NFL insider James Palmer shared that although the rookie will be facing the Seahawks’ and Denver Broncos‘ defenses, the Raiders believe he’s up for the challenge.
“Talking to people there over the last couple of weeks of practice, they all believe Fernando Mendoza is more than ready to step into the starting role,” Palmer said during a Nov. 12 appearance on Prime Video. “Kirk Cousins even knew that and was almost excited, I’m told, about the switch to help Mendoza.
“Now, he’s starting his career against the Seahawks and the Broncos, but they believe he’s mentally tough enough to handle that. Look for the scheme to be simplified a little, with more bootlegs and rollouts to take advantage of his athleticism. We know that’s a big part of Klint Kubiak’s system.”
Ex-NFL Player Backs Raiders’ Fernando Mendoza Decision
Meanwhile, former NFL defensive lineman Gerald McCoy believes that the Raiders know what they are doing despite having Mendoza get his feet wet against some of the best defenses in the league.
“If we want trial by fire, look no further than the Seattle Seahawks’ defense, but I trust them,” McCoy said in the Nov. 12 edition of “Big Day.” “They wouldn’t have gotten rid of Kirk Cousins if they didn’t believe Fernando Mendoza was ready. I know Tom has been saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to sit this guy.
“Let’s put him through the process.’ He just talked about the process, so they believe he’s ready to get out there and get some real game reps. They believe it’s time to put the pressure on him. This is what we drafted you for. This is trial by fire. We’ll see what you can do. [Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak can] give you some easy throws, and see what happens.”
It will be interesting to see if Mendoza can hit the ground running to start his career despite the two challenges he has to face.
Maxx Crosby’s Outlook on Fernando Mendoza as QB1
Ahead of Mendoza’s first NFL regular-season start, Maxx Crosby spoke to the media and shared an outlook as the No. 1 pick from this year’s draft takes the reins in Las Vegas.
“I think Fernando is going to do incredible, and I love Fernando,” Crosby told reporters on Nov. 12. “He is a great kid; he is going to do an awesome job, and I really do love the way he operates every day [and] he has a smile on his face all the time. He brings joy to the locker room, and I think he is going to do an amazing job.”
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