Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, just had a preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers that screamed why the Las Vegas Raiders were absolutely brilliant to bring in veteran Kirk Cousins. This wasn’t the showing you want from your top pick heading into the regular season.
The Game Plan and The Raw Reality
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak gave Cousins the first two drives on Thursday, August 27, then it was Mendoza’s show until the fourth quarter when Aidan O’Connell took over. This was a massive opportunity for Mendoza to get some serious playing time before the regular season kicked off, especially after his strong preseason debut was followed by a less impressive second game. But man, this final outing? It put all his early limitations right out there for everyone to see. He looked every bit the raw rookie, plain and simple, still trying to get a handle on the NFL game speed.
Overthrows, Sacks, and That Interception That Broke Him
So, what actually happened out there? Mendoza leaned hard on checkdown passes, tossed multiple overthrows, and was late on a bunch of throws. He got sacked a couple of times and, worst of all, threw an interception on just his second snap of the game. You could tell he was struggling. What’s frustrating is how tough it was to really evaluate him at times because the Raiders’ offensive line depth just wasn’t cutting it. Was he holding the ball too long, or was the line letting guys run free? Sometimes it was Mendoza being late on throws, causing those overthrows and incompletions. But then, you’d see plenty of blown blocking assignments from the line in front of him. After that early pick, it felt like Mendoza lost a step, losing some confidence in his ability to push the ball downfield. There was an obvious shift, almost an extra emphasis on just making progress, rather than making big plays.
What’s Next for the Raiders’ QB Room
This performance solidified the expectation: Mendoza is absolutely starting his career as the backup to Cousins. There’s no doubt about it. The Raiders kick off their season soon, and all eyes will be on Cousins to lead the charge. For Mendoza, it’s back to the film room and getting that rookie swagger back. He’s got the talent, being the No. 1 pick and all, but this final preseason game showed everyone he’s got a mountain to climb.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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