The Las Vegas Raiders made one of the more surprising moves ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline when they decided to send veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins back to his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. The Raiders played their hand perfectly, as they publicly said they weren’t interested in trading Cousins, which helped them extract a 2027 third-round pick from the Vikings in exchange for him.
Now that Cousins is gone, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza, is set to take over as the team’s starter under center. This is the move that folks across the league had been waiting for Las Vegas to make, and while there’s quite a bit of excitement surrounding Mendoza, Raiders legend Rich Gannon issued a strong warning when discussing his promotion to the starting gig.
Rich Gannon Gets Real on Raiders’ Fernando Mendoza Decision
Even though Las Vegas used the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft on Mendoza, the plan was always to develop him behind the scenes and let Cousins play until the wheels fell off. The problem, at least from Mendoza’s perspective, is that Cousins played so well that there was really no need to throw him into the fire. Instead, Mendoza developed behind the scenes, with the team insisting that his time would come.
Well, that time is now, as Mendoza will make his first NFL start against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. In his only action to this point of the season against the New England Patriots, Mendoza looked cool, calm, and collected in mop-up duty, but making a start vs. this sort of defense is a whole different story.
The Raiders’ offense was actually better than expected with Cousins leading the charge this season, but things are going to change now that Mendoza is under center. Gannon knows that Mendoza has tons of potential, but he warned folks that there are going to be some growing pains as the second half of the season unfolds.
“He needs to go out and play, and he needs to earn his stripes,” Gannon said in an interview with casino.org. “There are going to be growing pains. There are going to be setbacks. He’s gonna play, and he’s maybe gonna struggle. But he’s gonna learn. You have to take that into consideration. You have to be willing to hang in there with him and let him grow and let him play and make those mistakes.”
What Can the Raiders Reasonably Expect From Fernando Mendoza?
Part of the reason folks were so surprised by Cousins’ success in the Raiders’ offense is because of how limited the playmakers are around him. Brock Bowers is a star at tight end, and Tre Tucker has held his own as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, but there isn’t much else to work with besides them. The rushing attack, which features Ashton Jeanty, has been a disappointment, so it would be great if that group could get going and support Mendoza and the passing game.
Facing the Seahawks defense is going to be an immediate challenge for Mendoza, as they can create pressure without having to frequently send extra blitzers, which allows them to throw exotic coverages at opposing quarterbacks. If Mendoza can avoid making back-breaking mistakes against Seattle, he’ll keep his team in the game, but as Gannon said, growing pains have to be expected, no matter how much excitement there is for the No. 1 pick’s first start.
Raiders Legend Issues Fernando Mendoza Warning After Kirk Cousins Trade