Raiders OC Speaks on What Mendoza Is Showing

Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator speaks on what he is seeing from rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Fernando Mendoza | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Everyone right now is keeping their eyes on first overall pick Fernando Mendoza as he is getting ready for his first season in the NFL.

Mendoza will continue to have all eyes on him as we get closer to the 2026 NFL season. When you are the first overall pick at the quarterback position, everyone is looking for you to show why you got picked there. The Las Vegas Raiders have a plan for their future quarterback, and we will see how it plays out this summer.

Everyone outside the building wants to see Mendoza start under center from the get-go. That is not the Raiders' plan, but that could change if Mendoza just blows the coaching staff away and is clearly better than veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. Mendoza has to have complete control of the offense and play well in camp later in the summer to even be considered for the Silver and Black, so he can get him going right from the start.

Mendoza Opening Eyes for the Raiders

Fernando Mendoza | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

What we are hearing from the Raiders is that Mendoza has shown he is ready to compete and is doing everything in his power to be the best version of himself. It is nothing new to him, as he has had to prove himself everywhere that he has gone. Now he has to do it at the NFL level. He does not want to come to the Raiders and have everything handed to him; he wants to earn everything. It starts with showing he is all about the work and wanting to be a great leader.

Mendoza is bringing a lot of excitement to Las Vegas. They are going to have to prove that all the moves and noise this offseason will pay off for them. That is something the Raiders have failed to show in previous seasons, but this one has a different feeling for many.

Fernando Mendoza | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Mendoza Goes After Details

"He is a tremendous worker," said Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko on Fernando Mendoza. "He is someone who wants to know the why's of everything. The story about everything. What we are calling, but why we are calling it. And what are the building blocks? What is the footwork? What are the building blocks of his vision? How is he going to see it? How is he going to articulate it? He is really just a sponge that wants to know everything."