Fernando Mendoza Admits He Needs to 'Grow a Lot' After Raiders Preseason Debut

After throwing his first NFL touchdown pass in the Las Vegas Raiders' preseason opener on Thursday, Fernando Mendoza is already back in the film room studying.

Speaking to reporters following the Raiders' 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Mendoza admitted he needs to "grow a lot" as he prepares for his rookie season.

"It showed me that I need to grow a lot," Mendoza said. "... I'm definitely [watching the game film] after this. I have nothing else to do tonight."

Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, played four drives against Arizona's defense. He finished 10-of-16 for 97 yards and threw a touchdown to Jack Bech in the second quarter.

Mendoza also had a terrific throw to start the drive in which he found Malik Benson in the middle of the field by perfectly placing the ball between three defenders.

Kirk Cousins got the start for the Raiders and led a touchdown drive on his only offensive series of the game. Head coach Klint Kubiak has made it clear Cousins is the frontrunner to open the season as the No. 1 quarterback.

"Kirk's been getting the reps with the ones. I think he's had a solid training camp and it's his job to lose," Kubiak said.

Still, he praised Mendoza's growth throughout the offseason to this point.

"I see an ascending player," Kubiak said after Thursday's game. "We just got to keep getting better."

The second-quarter touchdown was the Raiders' lone scoring drive with Mendoza on the field, though he got them in field-goal position in the fourth quarter only for Kansei Matsuzawa to miss from 38 yards.

Mendoza is expected to be brought along slowly before the Raiders make him their starting quarterback. His first professional outing included some highs and lows, but the most important thing is the talent that made him the No. 1 overall pick was evident against the Cardinals.

The 2025 Heisman winner will get his next opportunity to showcase his ability on Aug. 20 when the Raiders play the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium.