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Fernando Mendoza may be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Las Vegas Raiders don’t plan to have him under center in Week 1.
At least that is the hope of new head coach Klint Kubiak, who said the same thing in March.
“You’d love for him to be able to learn behind somebody. It’s in a perfect world,” Kubiak said at the time during the NFL Scouting Combine.
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Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, attends a news conference at Raiders headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
But when will Mendoza make his NFL debut? ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes it could come much later than fans expect, especially given the brutal stretch of games midway through the season.
“I think they want Kirk Cousins to start the season,” Schefter said on his podcast. “And if you’re going to turn to Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, at some point, I don’t know if you’re going to do it in November when you have to play four road games.”
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The Raiders’ November schedule begins with the New York Jets on the road, followed by a trip to San Francisco to face the 49ers. Then it’s a home game at Allegiant Stadium, but against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Finally, the Raiders have their divisional matchup with the Denver Broncos on the road before heading to Cleveland to face the Browns.
“It’s not a good time to go to your rookie quarterback if you haven’t gone to him by then. So we could see Kirk Cousins until about Dec. 1,” Schefter added.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, poses with Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak at a news conference in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
After the Browns game, the Raiders have their bye week before three straight home games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, respectively. They finish the season on the road with the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.
Mendoza, the national champion and Heisman Trophy winner for the Indiana Hoosiers this past collegiate season, will have a bright spotlight in Las Vegas given his draft stock and how the franchise believes he is the quarterback of the future.
But the signing of Cousins, as well as Kubiak’s statement, indicates there isn’t necessarily an open quarterback competition to begin training camp this summer.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs through a drill during a rookie minicamp at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
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Of course, that can change. But Kubiak hopes his ideal world, where Cousins starts and Mendoza learns and develops behind a tested veteran quarterback, is the direction for the Raiders now.
Time will certainly tell when Mendoza takes over under center, but perhaps Schefter is on to something as he looks at the schedule and tries to figure out when that NFL debut will come for him.
