Mike McCoy's Value to New-Look Raiders Is Limitless

The Las Vegas Raiders have made critical decision after critical decision this offseason. Las Vegas started from the second the clock hit triple zeroes on their regular season-finale victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Las Vegas cleaned house, eliminating most of Pete Carroll's coaching staff.

Then, the Raiders' front office went all out to land the young, offensive-minded head coach they were searching for. After a delayed interview process, as Klint Kubiak was busy winning a Super Bowl, Las Vegas officially landed their next head man. Within days, Kubiak made Mike McCoy his first hire.

Watch McCoy Discuss Mandatory Minicamp and More Below

McCoy's Experience Is Vital

Few things are more valuable in the National Football League than the No. 1 overall pick. That pick is even more coveted in a situation like the Raiders', where there is a clear-cut No. 1 quarterback and the team holding the No. 1 pick has a clear need for a quarterback.

This is arguably the most critical aspect of Kubiak's decision to bring McCoy to Las Vegas. There are several other factors, but McCoy's prior experience with other quarterbacks drafted high and first overall is exactly what the Raiders need as they move forward.

Las Vegas signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will help give Mendoza a buffer on the field, but McCoy's presence is invaluable. The Raiders have only had the No. 1 overall pick twice in their storied history. They are determined to have better results this time around.

McCoy is a vital part of that process, having spent decades in the league alongside some of the most talented quarterbacks. He has worked directly with Trevor Lawrence, Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning, and, most recently, Cam Ward, among others. He can now add Mendoza to the list.

It cannot be emphasized enough how critical McCoy's experience will be in that regard, as it is rare to find a coach who has worked with a highly-drafted quarterback or two. McCoy has worked with several and is working with the most recent in Mendoza, after working with the most recent last season in Ward.

Like his overall experience, McCoy's experience with highly drafted quarterbacks spans multiple decades, which also factors in. He has seen what top-drafted quarterbacks have gone through over at least the last two decades, at multiple stages of their careers.

The Raiders are taking their time with Mendoza. They plan to bring him along gradually, while removing any pressure on him to develop at an accelerated rate or win any games as a rookie. All Mendoza has to do is focus on his development in the background, as long as Cousins can play.

Their plans for Mendoza's development on the field, combined with McCoy's decades worth of experience at their disposal, should only help further Mendoza's development, if not expedite it. It is hard to last in the NFL league for 30 years, as McCoy has done. He has what the Raiders need.

“I also had Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville. That was his second year, but that was his second system. It's not going to happen overnight, just learning and mastering everything. There's going to be mistakes, but I'm a true believer in the only way to learn is by making some mistakes, and there's the ups and the downs. It's a long season,” McCoy explained after mandatory minicamp.

McCoy went on to note that, as talented as they are, every young quarterback and young player needs time. He also stressed the fact that all players progress at different rates. In other words, there is no universal metric by which Mendoza, or any other quarterback or player, should develop.

“Tim [Tebow], we just did some work on him the other day for a special the NFL is going to put out. In 2010, we drafted him at the 25th pick, and Kyle Orton was the starter, and he came into the end of the year. And then the next year, in 2011, John Fox was the head coach, and middle of the season we made a change,” McCoy said.

“Trevor got on a roll there early. His second year, we kind of struggled a little bit early on just learning the system, and we were trying to find out - and that's on us as coaches also of what he does best, and don't try to do too much. And then all of a sudden, he got hot, then we had the playoff run, and we had the big win against the Chargers, things like that. So, everybody's different. Cam [Ward], he had his ups and downs early, and then he was so efficient at the end of the year."

Jun 9, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The new-look Raiders have had a plan every step of the way, not just for Mendoza but for the team and franchise as a whole. It remains to be seen exactly what that plan is, but given how much progress they have made this offseason, it is fair to assume it is a good one.

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