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Fernando Mendoza may be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Las Vegas Raiders don’t plan to have him under center in Week 1.
At least that’s the hope of new coach Klint Kubiak, who said as much in March.
“You’d love for me to learn behind someone. That’s in a perfect world,” Kubiak said at the time during the NFL Scouting Combine.
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Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, attends a news conference at Raiders headquarters in Henderson, Nevada, on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
But when could Mendoza make his NFL debut? ESPN’s Adam Schefter thinks it could come much later than fans expect, especially considering the brutal midseason stretch of games.
“I think they’re going to want Kirk Cousins to start the season,” Schefter said on his podcast. “And if you’re going to want to turn to Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick, at some point, I don’t know if you’ll want to do it in November, when you have to play four road games.”
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The Raiders’ November schedule begins with the New York Jets on the road, followed by a trip to San Francisco to face the 49ers. Next, it will be a home game at Allegiant Stadium, but against the reigning Super Bowl champions, Seattle Seahawks.
Finally, the Raiders have their divisional matchup against the Denver Broncos on the road before heading to Cleveland to face the Browns.
“That’s not a good time to have to go to your rookie quarterback if you haven’t gone to him by then. So we could see Kirk Cousins until about December 1,” Schefter added.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, poses with Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak at a news conference in Henderson, Nevada, on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
After the Browns game, the Raiders have their bye week before three straight home games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, respectively. They finish the season on the road with the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.
Mendoza, the national champion and Heisman Trophy winner for the Indiana Hoosiers last college season, will have a spotlight in Las Vegas considering his draft stock and how the franchise believes he will be its quarterback of the future.
But Cousins’ signing, as well as Kubiak’s statement, point to there not necessarily being an open quarterback competition to begin training camp this summer.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza goes through a drill during rookie minicamp at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada, on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Image Images)
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Of course, that could change. But Kubiak hopes his ideal world, where Cousins starts and Mendoza learns and develops behind a proven veteran quarterback, is the direction now for the Raiders.
Surely time will tell when Mendoza will take over under center, but perhaps Schefter is right in looking at the calendar and trying to determine when that NFL debut will come for him.
