Fernando Mendoza is walking into a brutal first assignment.
When the Raiders line up against the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, they’ll be the fifth team to face Seattle with a rookie quarterback since Mike Macdonald took over in 2024. That’s not exactly a welcoming sample size for a debut start, and the numbers have been ugly for the young passers who’ve already tried to solve this defense.
Only one of the four rookie quarterbacks to face Macdonald’s Seahawks has thrown a touchdown pass. None of them have won. Across those games, opposing offenses have averaged just 11.8 points per game.
That’s the backdrop for Mendoza’s first NFL start, and it’s a tough one.
The list of rookie quarterbacks Seattle has already chewed up tells the story. Max Brosmer and the Vikings got blanked 26-0 on November 30, 2025, with Brosmer finishing 19 of 30 for 126 yards and four interceptions.
Cam Ward had the best showing of the bunch in a 30-24 Titans loss on November 23, 2025, going 28 of 42 for 256 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while taking four sacks. Bo Nix’s first NFL game on September 8, 2024, ended in a 26-20 Broncos loss, with Nix throwing for 138 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions on 26-of-42 passing.
Caleb Williams ran into the same wall on December 26, 2024, when Seattle beat the Bears 6-3; Williams completed 16 of 28 passes for 122 yards and an interception and was sacked seven times.
So the Seahawks have already built a clear pattern against rookie quarterbacks under Macdonald: make life miserable, keep points off the board, and usually leave the rookie searching for answers.
Mendoza has only officially been the Raiders’ starting quarterback for two days, though he’s been getting first-team reps for a while. Even with that preparation, Sunday will be a major test against one of the league’s toughest defensive matchups.
Still, there’s at least some belief around Las Vegas that he can settle in and give the offense a spark. Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers said this week on the Locked on Raiders podcast on Thursday, “I do think we’re going to see a pleasant surprise from this Raiders offense. I do think Fernando Mendoza is ready for the moment.,”
Myers added, “There’s going to be some good and there’s going to be some bad, but I don’t think it’s going to be overwhelming for him. So it’s really up in the air. Don’t really know what to expect at this stage of the game.”
The Raiders are 6.5-point underdogs, which says plenty about the matchup and where the two teams are headed into Sunday. That line also looks a little more respectable considering Las Vegas was the worst team in the league a year ago and now has to deal with the defending champions.
Seattle will also be without Sam Darnold, who is dealing with quad and keep injuries, and the expectation is that Drew Lock will start at quarterback for the Seahawks.
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The Raiders rookie class has started to shape the conversation around the back end of the roster, and not just because of the usual growing pains. In the wake of a loss to the 49ers and a win over the Jets, the first-year group has produced a mix of encouraging flashes and uneven production, with some young players drawing strong marks for how they handled their opportunities while others struggled to make the same kind of case.
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Fernando Mendoza has stepped into a new role for the Raiders with the kind of attention that comes with being handed the offense in-season. After Kirk Cousins was moved out of the picture, Mendoza took over as Las Vegas starting quarterback and has already gone through his first full practice in the job, a key early test as he settles into the routine that now comes with leading the huddle.
Mendoza has also made clear he appreciated the time he spent alongside Cousins, crediting the veteran for his support during their overlap. Now the focus shifts quickly to game week and a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, where the Raiders will get their first real look at how Mendoza handles the pressure and pace of being the guy. [Read more 🡒]
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Head coach Klint Kubiak said the Raiders will stick with their offensive approach with Mendoza under center, which says plenty about how they want to handle the transition. It also sets up a revealing first test for the rookie, because the team is not easing him in with a scaled-back plan, and the matchup waiting for him should tell a lot about how ready he is for the speed and demands of the league. [Read more 🡒]