Raiders predicted to make disappointing QB decision on Fernando Mendoza originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Las Vegas Raiders are heading into Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season after finally seeing their first glimpse of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback the prior week.
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He came into the game once it was all over, and while he didn’t do anything special, it was still exciting to see him get some real NFL snaps. However, when it comes to Mendoza fully taking over, it’s not happening in Week 6 for the Raiders.
But when will it happen? Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon is predicting the Raiders will make a disappointing decision with Mendoza, not benching Kirk Cousins for the rookie QB until Week 12.
“The Bench Date: Week 12 at the Browns, giving Cousins plenty of rope while allowing Mendoza sufficient time to marinate,” Gagnon writes. “The Raiders, who have a dreadful schedule between now and the end of November, will likely have fallen out of the playoff picture by the time they play Cleveland in that spot.”
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This Raiders team is 3-2 entering play in Week 6 against the 4-1 Buffalo Bills. Cousins is still the starter, and Mendoza is still firmly the team’s backup.
After this week’s matchup, they face the Los Angeles Rams at home, followed by the New York Jets and the San Francisco 49ers on the road from Weeks 7 through 9.
Weeks 10 and 11 are about as hard as it gets, with the Raiders set to face the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos in back-to-back weeks.
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Those would be tough games to give Mendoza his first NFL start. That’s why the following matchup, in Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns, is the week when Gagnon is predicting the Raiders will switch QBs to Mendoza.
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That’s an easier matchup for the Raiders’ rookie in his NFL starting debut, and it’d come with a bye the following week to give him some extra time to work out any issues from his first NFL start.
Mendoza is sure to get onto the field as a starting QB for the Raiders at some point this season, and the question seems to be whether it’ll come before the bye or not.
Gagnon is predicting it does, but only by one week, with Mendoza being predicted to take over for Cousins in Week 12. It would be a bit disappointing not to see Mendoza for so long, but considering the schedule, it does make some sense why the Raiders might wait so long before handing the keys to the offense over to their No. 1 overall pick.
