Mapping out Raiders rookie QB Fernando Mendoza’s eventual takeover in Las Vegas originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Las Vegas Raiders are doing what many NFL franchises have done throughout the years with their No. 1 overall draft pick quarterback, Fernando Mendoza: letting a veteran take the snaps right away instead, before building up to an eventual baton handoff.
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Kirk Cousins has been named the team’s starting quarterback over the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and Aidan O’Connell. Cousins, by way of his 88-77-2 regular-season record and training camp performance, is, in theory, the best option to win football games during the 2026 campaign.
That’s how first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak framed the decision, anyway. Kubiak lauded Cousins’ performance and leadership ability this summer in his first offseason in Las Vegas.
It’s easier for Cousins to be a leader than for Mendoza, with an NFL postseason win under his belt and years of being a QB1 for the then-Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, and Atlanta Falcons. For now.
If the losses pile up for the Raiders, Cousins will lose those narrative advantages.
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When, though, could Mendoza take over? Simply put, it’s not up to him, but on Cousins. The odds may be stacked in Mendoza’s favor sooner rather than later, however.
The most worrying aspect of Las Vegas’s rebuild is how the offensive line is going to hold up. With the addition of Tyler Linderbaum in the middle, Cousins will have a strong center to work with pre-snap, while Ashton Jeanty will have a guy who can create gaps. With proper help from his teammates, of course.
It’s unclear if Linderbaum has that. Beyond Linderbaum, there are question marks everywhere along the starting offensive line.
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The right side of the line didn’t grade out well last year. Tackle DJ Glaze and guard Jackson Powers-Johnson are ranked in the bottom third of the league at their respective positions, per Pro Football Focus. Left guard Spencer Burford graded out even worse.
Left tackle Kolton Miller is a wild card. After an injury-filled season in 2025, we don’t know whether his high-ankle injuries will sap him of his lateral quickness. We don’t know if Miller can still push back against elite edge rushers.
This is all disastrous news for Cousins, who’s a pure pocket passer and far less mobile at 38 years old than he’s ever been.
If all the worst-case scenarios come to fruition for that offensive line, Mendoza is naturally built as a better fit for this Las Vegas roster right now.
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While Cousins has him beat on release time post-snap, Mendoza will naturally get better at that over time. If receivers can’t get open on their initial reads, Cousins could be a sitting duck in the pocket. The more mobile Mendoza can move the pocket with bootlegs and sprint-outs to compensate for the lagging offensive line play.
Mendoza has experience overcompensating for poor protection after overcoming Cal’s 3.85 sacks allowed and 8.54 TFL per game in 2024 to put up over 3,000 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes.
If/when it becomes clear the Raiders aren’t a contender in 2026, the franchise will be better off handing the ball to Mendoza sooner rather than later. Mendoza could do more with less, and while there may be growing pains, there will be pain with Cousins in there too. At least with Mendoza, you have something to build toward in the future.
If things don’t work out right away, Mendoza has shown he has the patience to withstand tough times. He spent three years in Berkeley and made them a bowl-eligible program before giving Indiana one of the great modern QB performances over a 16-0 run to the national championship, only after he had the right pieces.
Las Vegas has time to give him those pieces. Getting Mendoza reps during his rookie year is the best way to make sure this team can actually compete in a year or two when the help arrives.
