Fernando Mendoza doesn’t sound like a quarterback trying to win a headline. He sounds like one trying to win the room.
That matters in Las Vegas, where the path to the Raiders’ starting job has shifted hard from the early assumption that Mendoza would be the guy in 2026. Kirk Cousins now sits in the driver’s seat, Aidan O’Connell has held his own, and Mendoza is in a real fight for position. The rookie’s development was always going to take time, and even if some offseason practice reports made it seem like he was falling behind, both Mendoza and the coaching staff say he’s moving at a strong pace.
Training camp is the next big checkpoint. It’s the first real chance for Raider Nation to see whether the progress is showing up in a more game-like setting, and the standard in Las Vegas right now is growth, not perfection.
Mendoza made that clear when he joined The Rush With Maxx Crosby and was asked by co-host Brogan Roback, a former quarterback, how he defines a successful camp.
"Yeah, I think especially when setting outward goals, I believe it's always better to lean on mentors and coaches and people that know more than I do at that point," Mendoza said. "For example, I believe that [head] coach [Klint] Kubiak, [offensive coordinator Andrew] Janocko, and [QB] coach [Mike] Sullivan would have a better idea of what a successful training camp is in their plan and progression for me than I do at this current moment. So, I get with them, we talk about my goals, 'Hey, this is where we want to be.'"
That’s the heart of it for Mendoza. Success isn’t about showing off every tool in the bag.
It isn’t about proving he can move around the pocket or make throws on the run. Those things matter, sure, but the first job is simpler: earn the trust of the offensive staff.
And this has been the Raiders’ approach since Mendoza officially arrived in late April. The team mapped out a month-by-month offseason plan with clear markers for June, July, the end of training camp and preseason.
"The start of training camp past OTAs, we've talked about that. We have a June plan and July plan.
Then, 'Hey, this is where we want to be at the end of training camp, and this is where we want to be in preseason,'" Mendoza shared. "My job is to try to exceed those; exceed those mile markers every single day.
And I am able to do that by focusing, like Maxx does, on the present moment."
It’s not flashy, and it probably won’t make for loud social media clips. But it does fit Mendoza’s track record.
He’s been this way since middle school, through high school, at Cal and then at Indiana, where he was pushed into the spotlight. He keeps saying the right things because that’s who he is.
For a young quarterback, that’s not a weakness. It’s a strength. The Raiders have a player who is humble, composed and easy to believe in, and that can go a long way in a quarterback room and a locker room.
Whether he’s ready to play right away is still an open question. There’s time for that answer to come. But if Mendoza keeps hitting the markers the Raiders have laid out for him, the rest should follow.
In Other News...
Raiders Suddenly Have An Aidan O'Connell Decision They Can't Dodge
The Raiders quarterback room is starting to come into focus for 2026, and it leaves Aidan OConnell in an awkward spot. Kirk Cousins is the presumed starter, rookie Fernando Mendoza is expected to be the future answer when he is ready, and OConnell sits in the middle as the most obvious odd man out, even though he still profiles as a usable NFL backup.
That is what makes his situation worth watching before the season begins. OConnell is viewed as a potential trade piece, and there are teams around the league believed to be interested in him, but Las Vegas has to decide whether keeping him as insurance is worth more than turning him into value now. For a quarterback in a contract year, spending the season buried on the depth chart would not help his case, so the Raiders may have to move before the choice gets made for them. [Read more 🡒]
Thomas Booker IV Is Becoming A Bigger Part Of The Raiders Rebuild
After a 3-14 season, the Raiders spent the offseason trying to reshape both the roster and the coaching infrastructure, and one of the quieter moves has turned into a meaningful one up front. Thomas Booker IV arrived in a trade with Philadelphia and quickly worked his way into the mix on the defensive line, giving Las Vegas another body it can trust as it tries to build something sturdier around a unit that needs more than just a few standouts.
Bookers value has shown up in the kind of role the Raiders want to lean on more often, with defensive coordinator Rob Leonard stressing the importance of depth and rotation along the line. Booker also logged a full seasons worth of availability and starting experience in his first year with Las Vegas, which is exactly the sort of reliability a rebuilding team can use while it sorts out the rest of the front. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Need This Camp Answer Before The O Line Derails Them
Training camp is set to decide a lot for the Raiders, but the biggest question may be the right side of the offensive line. Under new head coach Klint Kubiak, the team is looking for more stability up front after a 2025 season in which protection issues kept hanging over the offense, and the focus now is on sorting out who fits best next to the rest of the line before the preseason starts to matter.
The right guard competition could stretch through Caleb Rogers, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Trey Zuhn III and possibly Jordan Meredith, while DJ Glaze looks like the frontrunner at right tackle unless Charles Grant makes it much closer than expected. ESPN has already raised concerns about pass protection on that side, and the Raiders need a cleaner answer there before the line becomes the kind of problem that can undo whatever progress the new staff is trying to build. [Read more 🡒]