New Fernando Mendoza Rumors on Timeline to Be Named Raiders' QB1 After 2026 NFL Draft

Despite being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, there is reportedly a belief within the league that Fernando Mendoza will not begin the 2026 season as the Las Vegas Raiders' starting quarterback.

Speaking to The Athletic's Mike Sando this week, an anonymous NFL executive said, "All indications are they are going to make Mendoza sit."

Another exec expressed their belief that it will take some time before Mendoza is put in a proper position to succeed in Vegas, saying, "I think Mendoza will thrive there with [head coach] Klint Kubiak, but it will take two or three years. They just don't have a good enough team."

The 22-year-old Mendoza is coming off one of the best quarterback seasons in college football history.

Mendoza led Indiana to a perfect 16-0 record and the first national championship in program history, plus he completed 72.0 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions en route to winning the Heisman Trophy.

Fernando Mendoza highlights

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Given the Raiders' clear and obvious need at quarterback, it came as no surprise when they used the top pick on Mendoza, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have to force him into action.

In free agency, the Raiders signed 37-year-old Kirk Cousins as a mentor for Mendoza, and he is more than capable of starting until it is determined that Mendoza is fully ready.

Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowler with 167 career starts under his belt, and he showed last season that he still has something left in the tank.

Starting eight games for the Atlanta Falcons after Michael Penix Jr. was lost for the season with a torn ACL, Cousins went 5-3 and completed 61.7 percent of his passing attempts for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five picks.

The Raiders do have some talented skill-position players in place, such as tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, but their wide receiver room still leaves something to be desired, and it remains to be seen how their offensive line will jell.

Throwing Mendoza right into the proverbial fire to adversely impact his confidence if things don't go well, but watching and learning how a veteran like Cousins deals with adversity could go a long way toward preparing him for life as an NFL starter.