Raiders' Spytek Drops Bold Take Days Before Draft

Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek makes a bold statement days before the 2026 NFL Draft.

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

In the coming days, the Las Vegas Raiders will have another quarterback in their room who is going to make even more noise than he already has all offseason long. The Raiders are going to take Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick on Thursday to kick off the 2026 NFL Draft.

Mendoza will be added to the room with veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and fourth-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell. One unique thing all three share is that they are all Big Ten products.

Apr 8, 2026; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins speaks at a press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

After Mendoza becomes a Raider officially, all the talk is going to be about who will be the starter for the Raiders going into next season. The Raiders have made it clear they plan to sit Mendoza and let him develop behind Cousins, rather than throwing him into the fire right away in his rookie season.

That is something the Raiders have been saying they want to avoid. They have been huge on making sure their rookie gets a good feel for the offense before they put him out there.

Las Vegas Raiders John Spytek | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Best Man Will Play Quarterback

All the talk will be there all summer long, and as we get closer to the start of next season, because of how Mendoza handles all his football business.

This is a quarterback who could be ready to start in Week 1. No one will be surprised if he does because of the work ethic, execution, leadership, and knowledge about the game he has. He is a starting quarterback as well, and one thing he will do his best to do is win the job over Cousins. That is the competitor in him.

Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Raiders general manager John Spytek surely had something new to say about who the starting quarterback will be next season.

Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

"The best man will play," said Spytek on the "Rich Eisen Show." "I have a lot of respect for Kirk, and he has been playing good football for a long time, and we are excited to have him here in Las Vegas with us. The best man will play. We will have more answers here in the coming days."

The Raiders have to do what they feel is best for the franchise. If they feel like the best is to go with Cousins as the starter, they need to do that. If they feel they see something in Mendoza and he is ready to start right away, they need to go with that.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek walks on the sideline before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images