Raiders Should Sit Fernando Mendoza for 1 Year as Kirk Cousins Opens at Quarterback
Updated
Updated · Silver And Black Pride · Aug 31
Raiders Should Sit Fernando Mendoza for 1 Year as Kirk Cousins Opens at Quarterback
3 articles · Updated · Silver And Black Pride · Aug 31
Summary
Fernando Mendoza has looked promising in preseason, but the Raiders are still better off opening with Kirk Cousins and delaying the rookie’s debut until the offense is more stable.
Three preseason series are all the projected starting offensive linemen have played together, leaving Mendoza without regular snaps behind key starters and exposing shaky pass protection.
Klint Kubiak has also criticized the receiving corps after a poor joint practice and preseason game in Houston, with no clear No. 1 target emerging and several wideouts struggling to separate consistently.
That combination makes Mendoza’s development the priority: the rookie has shown he can work through reads, but the roster around him is not yet built to support a pocket passer.
The broader plan is to treat Mendoza as the Raiders’ future, using Cousins—and, if needed, Aidan O’Connell—to absorb early-season pressure while the team keeps building around him.