Mike Pawlawski: Fernando Mendoza Needs Time to Develop as NFL Quarterback

Cal graduate Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft this year, is scheduled to make his Las Vegas Raiders debut on Thursday in a preseason game vs. the Arizona Cardinals.

Mendoza led the Bears to Big Game victories over Stanford in 2023 and ’24 before winning the Heisman Trophy last fall on Indiana’s national championship team. He then became the seventh ex-Cal quarterback chosen in the NFL’s first round, the third to go No. 1.

Raiders first-year coach Klint Kubiak already has named 15-year veteran Kirk Cousins as the team’s starter, and that’s probably a good thing for Mendoza and his long-term development. Former Cal star Mike Pawlawski certainly thinks so.

“I’m hoping he’s going to get the time to become the veteran quarterback that you need to be to succeed in that league,” said Pawlawski, who worked extensively with Mendoza.

"I told Aaron Rodgers when he came out here that being behind Brett Favre was the best thing that ever happened to him because you get to study it without taking the bumps and bruises the hard way. You don’t develop the bad habits you do that you get when you’re under pressure.”

Rodgers sat for three seasons before becoming the Packers’ full-time starter in Year 4. By then, he was positioned for stardom.

By not sending Mendoza into the fray before he’s ready, the Raiders can avoid him taking a pounding with a team that went 3-14 a year ago and is projected to finish last again in the AFC West.

Among the half-dozen ex-Cal QBs chosen in the first round, only Kyle Boller in 2003 had a winning record as a starter his rookie season. He led the Baltimore Ravens to a 5-4 record and went on to play eight NFL seasons.

None of the six — also including Craig Morton, Steve Bartkowski, Rich Campbell and Jared Goff — threw as many touchdowns as interceptions as rookies. Combined, they threw 27 TDs and 40 interceptions in their debut professional seasons.

Bartkowski, the No. 1 pick of the Atlanta in 1975, was runnerup in Rookie of the Year after starting 11 games that season. The Falcons went 4-7.

Goff didn’t get a chance with the Los Angeles Rams until starting the final seven games in 2016. The Rams went 0-7 and Goff was sacked 26 times.

Mendoza played with the starters in practice Saturday after Cousins was suspended for one day following a scuffle with defensive end Maxx Crosby. Mendoza responded by throwing three touchdown passes during a scrimmage session.

“Fernando continues to improve, and the thing I think we’re very pleased about is from spring to the start of camp, there were some parts of this game we wanted him to improve upon and he has as we’ve added different layers and dimensions,” quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan told the Associated Press. “He’s not repeating mistakes, which is always a good thing. It’s a long process. We’re pleased with how he’s developing.”

Pawlawski hopes Cousins will remain the starter — at least for a while — while also serving to mentor Mendoza. Cousins has started 167 NFL regular-season games, only nine of them over his first three seasons.

That scenario has changed. The past six quarterbacks chosen No. 1 overall -- Cam Ward (2025), Caleb Williams ('24), Bryce Young ('23), Trevor Lawrence ('21), Joe Burrow ('20) and Kyler Murray ('19) -- all were full-time starters by the season opener.

The growing pains on bad teams were obvious -- the six combined for a rookie win-loss record of 20-71-2.

So assuming Mendoza is given time to watch, he will be an anomaly in the modern game. Pawlawski remains confident patience will work in his favor.

“He's going to learn it all, figure it all out, he’s going to find those solutions before he ever faces the problem live. That way he can grow,” Pawlawski said.

“I expect for him to have an insane career. People underestimate how good he is because of his work ethic. They don’t know it if they haven’t seen it. He’s relentless about finding those things that make him better.

“He has all the tools. And he has the ability through that work ethic to become as good as he wants to be.”

Cal Quarterbacks Chosen in 1st Round of the NFL Draft

CRAIG MORTON, No. 5 pick, Dallas Cowboys, 1965

Rookie stats: 4 games, 1 start (0-1), 17-34 (50.0%), 173 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT

STEVE BARTKOWSKI, No. 1 pick, Atlanta Falcons, 1975

Rookie stats: 11 games, 11 starts (4-7), 115-255 (45.1%), 1,662 yards, 13 TD, 15 INT

RICH CAMPBELL, No. 6 pick, Green Bay Packers, 1981

Rookie stats: 2 games, 0 starts, 15-30 (50.0%), 168 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT

KYLE BOLLER, No. 19 pick, Baltimore Ravens, 2003

Rookie stats: 11 gams, 9 starts (5-4), 116-234 (51.8%), 1,260 yards, 7 TD, 9 INT

AARON RODGERS, No. 24 pick, Green Bay Packers, 2005

Rookie stats: 3 games, 0 starts, 9-16 (56.3%), 65 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

JARED GOFF, No. 1 pick, Los Angeles Rams, 2016

Rookie stats: 7 games, 7 starts (0-7), 112-205 (54.6%), 1,089 yards, 5 TD, 7 INT

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