1 Glaring Problem with John Spytek's Plans for Raiders' Quarterback

General Manager John Spytek gave a glimpse into his future plans for the Las Vegas Raiders at the quarterback position at the 2026 NFL Draft Combine.

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft might be the worst-kept secret in the NFL right now.

This assumption was practically a lock as soon as Sin City landed the No. 1 selection after finishing the 2025 campaign at just 3-14. Once Mendoza led his Hoosiers to the national championship with a dominant run through the College Football Playoffs, it became an inevitability.

The reigning Heisman winner felt comfortable enough in his status as the top prospect that he elected to sit out for the combine. General Manager John Spytek and the Raiders still showed up, though, as they have several other picks to make in April.

Spytek also gave the media some valuable insight into his approach for the remainder of Las Vegas's offseason.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks towards the sideline during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Who will Fernando Mendoza learn from?

John Spytek didn't name Fernando Mendoza specifically, but he did state that he would feel more comfortable stashing the Las Vegas Raiders' future franchise quarterback on the bench to begin his career: "I think you want to limit the amount of pressure you have on that guy from the start. Now, if you have a young quarterback, I'm not necessarily in favor of running him out there right away either."

Spytek gave that sound bite while addressing some of the ways he can help a young QB succeed, pointing to an established veteran under center as a premium need, someone who can take pressure off of Mendoza (allegedly) and mentor him. That's a solid plan. The Raiders have a lot of holes on the roster and aren't in a place to compete right away, even with a transformative talent at quarterback.

🎥 🔴 LIVE: General Manager John Spytek addresses the media from the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. https://t.co/JxeXIiCCSy

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) February 24, 2026

Allowing Mendoza (allegedly) to sit and learn for a bit might be the best way to nurture him, à la Patrick Mahomes with Alex Smith and Jordan Love with Aaron Rodgers.

The only issue is that Las Vegas doesn't have that veteran mentor on the roster. Spytek could be alluding to Geno Smith, but that could be a bit alarming considering the disastrous season that Smith just had for the Raiders. On top of that, Spytek himself stated that he hasn't spoken with Smith since the end of the campaign.

Las Vegas originally traded for Smith and signed him to an extension to make a playoff push, not to be a bridge quarterback. Smith hasn't exactly given the impression that he's willing to slide into a mentorship role either, and nothing in his career suggests that he'd be a good fit there. If the Raiders do actually plan on stashing Mendoza (allegedly), they have to bring in a better tutor than Smith.

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