Indiana’s recent quarterback pipeline is headed into the NFL with both ends of the depth chart taking shape.
Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, is set to open his rookie season as a backup to Kirk Cousins, CBS Sports is reporting. That was the only real question surrounding Mendoza’s spot, and Las Vegas is sticking with its plan.
Mendoza’s preseason line showed some highs and lows. He went 25 of 45 passing, a 55.6% clip, for 240 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Cousins brings a massive veteran resume into the job. At 38, he’s entering his 15th NFL season and has started 167 regular-season games.
Out in San Francisco, the 49ers have made their quarterback-three call. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, they are releasing Adrian Martinez and keeping Kurtis Rourke as their No. 3 behind Brock Purdy and Mac Jones.
Rourke’s preseason had already given him a chance to show what he could do. After missing the entire 2025 season while rehabbing a knee injury, he looked sharp in the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, completing 12 of 14 passes for 101 yards. That night turned rough when he took three broken ribs on a goal-line play, was taken to the hospital after having trouble breathing, and is now expected to be ready for the start of the season.
His final status is still unresolved. It’s not yet clear whether Rourke will land on the 53-man roster or end up on the practice squad.
NFL teams have until Sunday, August 30, at 6:00 p.m. ET to trim down to their initial 53-man active rosters.
We’ll update the status of all Hoosiers attempting to make an NFL team.
In Other News...
Fernando Mendozas NFL Timeline Just Hit A Reality Indiana Fans Feared
The Raiders quarterback plan is already taking shape, and it points to a familiar early-career path for Fernando Mendoza. According to a report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Las Vegas is expected to open the season with Kirk Cousins as its Week 1 starter, while Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, is on the roster and positioned to begin as the backup. For Indiana fans who watched Mendoza rise into a franchise-changing prospect, it is the kind of first-step reality that comes with a short wait before the spotlight fully shifts.
Even so, this is not a case of the Raiders backing away from their long view. The organization still sees Mendoza as its quarterback of the future, and head coach Klint Kubiak has already voiced confidence in what he can become. That makes the early depth-chart arrangement more of a timeline than a judgment, but it also leaves the most interesting part of the story unresolved: how quickly the Raiders decide the future is ready to become the present. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Got Another Shot At A Recruit Fans Will Notice
Darian DeVries has made it clear that Indianas recruiting push is going to stretch well beyond the transfer portal. Along with chasing immediate help, the Hoosiers have been active in building out future classes, and that work is starting to show in the form of official visits for some of the most closely watched high school prospects in the country.
Brady Pettigrew is the name that will draw the most attention. The five-star point guard in the 2028 class already has multiple official visits lined up this fall, and Indiana is one of the programs getting a closer look. He has not made a commitment decision yet, which leaves the Hoosiers with a real opening as they try to stay in the mix for a recruit who would immediately resonate with fans paying attention to the programs long-term direction. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Morris Could Give Indiana's Offense A Needed Spark Fast
Tyler Morris arrived in Bloomington with the kind of background that can make a transfer useful right away and more dangerous a year later. After sitting out last season because of a knee injury, the former Michigan receiver has spent that time learning Indianas offense and getting himself ready for the 2025 season, with the Hoosiers expecting him to step into the slot and help stabilize the passing game.
Morris has also been busy building timing with new quarterback Josh Hoover, a detail that could matter quickly if Indiana is looking for a receiver who already knows where to be. He has been active in spring scrimmages and fall camp, and the additional role as punt returner only adds to the sense that Indiana wants him involved as soon as possible. [Read more 🡒]