Technically speaking, the Las Vegas Raiders haven’t named a Week 1 starting quarterback. The “battle” — if you can call it that — is between veteran Kirk Cousins and rookie No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, fresh off a Heisman Trophy and national title at Indiana.
Raiders HC Klint Kubiak consistently talks about taking the patient approach with Mendoza, making sure he’s ready before thrusting him into action. Given some of Mendoza’s preseason struggles, this would appear to be the right approach. There’s no rush, so give him time to acclimate to the NFL.
Though no starter has been officially named, Las Vegas gave Cousins most of the first-team reps in training camp and everyone assumes he’ll be the starter when the season kicks off. Now, an ESPN insider has another prediction regarding Mendoza and the Raiders’ quarterback depth chart.
ESPN Insider Predicts Fernando Mendoza Will Be Third on the Raiders’ Depth Chart
On Wednesday, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano made a bold prediction for every team in the NFL. Here’s what he had to say about the Raiders:
“Coach Klint Kubiak can play it as coy as he wants, but don’t be fooled: The Raiders absolutely, 100-percent plan to start veteran Kirk Cousins in Week 1,” Graziano wrote. “They have been telling people since the combine that they don’t want to play Mendoza right away. Team executive and part owner Tom Brady has an influential voice in the building and has argued strongly that young quarterbacks are better off when they can sit and learn behind a veteran rather than being thrust into a starter’s role right away.”
“The Raiders want to make sure they don’t play Mendoza until he’s ready — and until they’re ready for him,” Graziano continued. “They have issues to sort out on their offensive line and in their unproven wide receiver corps, and while they work through those questions, they believe the veteran Cousins is better suited to solve problems that might arise as a result. Las Vegas loves Mendoza and everything he has been since he got there, but the team wants him to be able to work on the parts of his game that need improving and for him to do it without feeling any pressure to rush.”
“If something were to happen to Cousins and the Raiders needed to go to a backup early in the season, I wouldn’t be surprised if they turned to Aidan O’Connell ahead of Mendoza.”
The Las Vegas Raiders Plan to Take Care With Fernando Mendoza’s Development
Too often, rookie quarterbacks are thrown into the fire too quickly, hampering their development. The Raiders don’t plan on making that mistake with Mendoza. This year isn’t about winning big in Las Vegas — it’s about developing the young talent on the roster, Mendoza included, and building a foundation for next year.
Undoubtedly, Mendoza will start games for the Raiders this season. He needs to get his feet wet in real game action, and that can’t happen from the sidelines. But at least to start out, he might be third in the pecking order at quarterback in Las Vegas.
Raiders Get Bold Fernando Mendoza Prediction Ahead of Week 1