When the Las Vegas Raiders selected former Indiana Hoosiers standout quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, many felt that he could be a day one starter.
Despite spending the No. 1 pick on a long-term franchise quarterback, the Raiders quickly made it clear that they were not going to throw him into the fire. Las Vegas signed veteran signal caller Kirk Cousins in free agency. He was quickly named the starter.
Even though Cousins has already been named the starter, the Raiders have been urged to reconsider that decision. Mendoza has had a strong preseason showing. He appears ready to play at the NFL level.
No one knows when to expect Mendoza to play. Some think he could sit on the sidelines his entire rookie year. Others expect Cousins to be benched in favor of the rookie early in the season.
That being said, head coach Klint Kubiak made some telling comments about the young quarterback ahead of the team’s preseason finale.
Raiders’ Coach Makes Telling Fernando Mendoza Comments
As shared by Sam Gordon of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Kubiak likes what he has seen from the rookie quarterback. However, he did make it clear that he sees work that needs to be done.
“I’d say it’s his first one,” Kubiak said of Mendoza’s first training camp.
“It’s baptism by fire every day at all positions. Especially rookie quarterbacks. I see an improving player that we’ve just got to keep being hard on to get better.”
How exactly is that a telling comment? Quite simply, Kubiak made it clear that Mendoza needs to get better in areas. His comment about continuing to be hard on the rookie signal caller shows that he’s not ready to play him yet.
Whether or not that will change throughout the 2026 campaign remains to be seen.
Fernando Mendoza’s College Track Record Shows NFL Readiness
Not every young NFL quarterback should play early on in their career. One prime example of that is Green Bay Packers signal caller Jordan Love. He needed to develop behind Aaron Rodgers for a few years before being ready.
Mendoza, on the other hand, is as NFL ready as a rookie quarterback gets.
During the 2025 college football season at Indiana, Mendoza led the program to its first ever national championship. He threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions, while completing 72 percent of his passes. Mendoza also chipped in with 276 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Leading the Hoosiers to a championship was one sign. The way he did it was another. Mendoza played at a high level, but his poise and leadership were just as impressive.
Las Vegas may choose to bring Mendoza along slowly. But, if the Raiders choose to play him early this season, he’ll be ready for the challenge.
Raiders Provide Telling Fernando Mendoza Update Before Week 1