Fernando Mendoza isn’t pretending the Raiders’ quarterback situation is settled just because he was taken first overall.
As Las Vegas works through training camp ahead of the 2026 season, the rookie has already offered a blunt self-assessment of where he stands. Mendoza said, “I still have a long way to go. I feel more comfortable, but I am nowhere near where I need to be, especially with learning the playbook,” per Ryan McFadden of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.
That honesty came after a practice session McFadden described as a solid one for both Mendoza and Kirk Cousins. According to McFadden, “Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins were solid. Mendoza completed a 25-yard pass to Deven Thompkins and then made an impressive throw near the sideline to Brandon Johnson.”
Cousins, who signed with Las Vegas in free agency after the Raiders drafted Mendoza number one overall out of Indiana, is already in place as the starter heading into the season. But unlike his move to the Atlanta Falcons two years ago, when he was blindsided by the team’s selection of Michael Penix Jr., this setup was clear from the start. Cousins knew he would be more of a mentor for Mendoza over the long haul, even if he opens the year under center.
So the real question now is how quickly Mendoza can close the gap and take over the job in Las Vegas. That’s the storyline hanging over a team that many pundits don’t expect to be especially competitive this year.
The Raiders open the season on September 13 at home against the Miami Dolphins.
In Other News...
Broncos Face A Big Vance Joseph Question After Latest Interest
Vance Joseph is headed back to Denver for the 2026 season after once again drawing head-coaching interest, a familiar kind of offseason validation for a coordinator who keeps getting mentioned in those conversations. For Broncos coach Sean Payton, the return keeps a key piece of his staff intact and extends the runway for a coach he has continued to back publicly.
From the Raiders perspective, the ripple effect is less about Denver than the division-wide chessboard around it, where every staff decision and roster move gets watched closely. Las Vegas also had its own quarterback-room storyline surface, with Fernando Mendoza framing his approach as competition alongside Kirk Cousins and the rest of the group rather than a straight one-on-one battle, a small but telling sign of how these summer jobs are being defined. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Camp Will Answer One Huge Question About This Defense
Training camp is where the Raiders should start getting real answers about a defense that has been reshaped in a hurry. Christian Wilkins is in place up front, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker have been added at linebacker, and the staff now gets a full look at how the new pieces fit with the holdovers as Las Vegas tries to raise the floor on that side of the ball.
The most interesting part may come along the defensive line and in the cornerback room, where camp reps will matter as much as any offseason label. Players like Hemingway and Decamerion Richardson are on the spot to show they can claim bigger roles, and for a team still rebuilding its secondary, the next few weeks could go a long way toward deciding how much confidence the Raiders can have when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]