Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza delivered his sharpest offseason statement yet Wednesday, turning heads at OTA practice with what one NFL insider described as a near-perfect passing session, according to NFL Network’s Omar Ruiz, who observed the practice field in Henderson, Nevada.
The football world is watching closely. Drive into Las Vegas right now and a billboard with a single word greets you — Fernando. The hype, as Ruiz noted, has officially begun. Mendoza’s performance immediately intensified questions about how long the Raiders can realistically keep the No. 1 overall pick behind veteran Kirk Cousins.
Ruiz was on the ground for the session and delivered a granular account of what Mendoza actually did. While Kirk Cousins worked as QB1 and Aidan O’Connell operated as QB2 on the main field, Mendoza was on a separate practice area, seemingly in a galaxy far, far away as Ruiz colorfully put it, running reps with the third- and fourth-string units.
On that distant field, the NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick was doing exactly what head coach Klint Kubiak said he wanted to see. Kubiak told Ruiz that the benchmark for Mendoza’s progress at this stage was simple. He wanted to see completions and getting the ball into playmakers’ hands. By that measure, Mendoza delivered. Ruiz counted just two incompletions across the entire session.
Mendoza Makes His Case at Raiders OTA
The Heisman Trophy winner from Indiana was hitting receivers at the top of their routes, finding targets in stride, checking down, connecting on screens, and running the huddle with command, according to the Ruiz account. The NFL Network reporter specifically noted that Mendoza was emphasizing his footwork, his mechanics under center, the depth of his dropbacks, and staying in rhythm with his reads throughout.
Kubiak added the broader assessment after practice. According to ESPN‘s Ryan McFadden, the Raiders head coach said Mendoza has been as advertised since arriving roughly a month ago. Left tackle Kolton Miller echoed that, calling the rookie a sponge who shows up to every meeting with a notebook and corrects mistakes from one day to the next.
When Will Fernando Mendoza Start?
Despite the strong reviews, the starting job is not Mendoza’s yet. Kubiak has been consistent since the NFL Scouting Combine in March. He’d love his future franchise quarterback to develop behind a veteran. That veteran is Cousins, who brings three seasons of system familiarity with Kubiak from their time together with the Minnesota Vikings.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter pushed that timeline out further on his podcast. The Raiders face four straight road games in November — including trips to face the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos — making that stretch a difficult window to turn to a rookie. “We could be seeing Kirk Cousins up until about December 1,” Schefter said, as quoted by Scott Thompson of Fox News.
Fan and media reaction has been divided. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel took to social media to state that Mendoza should be the Day 1 starter. Pro Football Network‘s Abhimanyu Chaudhary noted that Rich Eisen Show contributor Chris Brockman agreed Mendoza should start Week 1.
At Indiana last season, he went 16-0, threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Raiders have not won a playoff game since 2002. The billboard says Fernando. The question is only when.
Raiders No. 1 Pick Fernando Mendoza Turns Heads at OTA With Near-Perfect Session