No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza won’t be making his NFL debut in Week 1. The Las Vegas Raiders just announced veteran Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback for the season opener against the Miami Dolphins, pushing back what everyone thought was a sure thing. This move was expected, even after the Raiders scooped up Mendoza with the top pick back in April, but it still stings to see a guy with Mendoza’s college pedigree waiting on the sidelines.
The Vet Takes the Reins, For Now
Look, Cousins is a known quantity. The Raiders signed him to a one-year deal earlier this year with the full expectation he’d be the Week 1 starter and mentor Mendoza. He went 5-3 as a starter last season with the Atlanta Falcons, tossing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He’s 38, entering his 15th season, and he was declared the starter at the start of training camp. Head coach Klint Kubiak had nothing but praise for him in July, but he kept the door open on the Week 1 starter throughout the preseason. Cousins made just two drives in their preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers, which makes sense for a guy with his experience. He wasn’t expected to play much, giving Mendoza plenty of run.
Heisman Hype Meets NFL Reality
That extra preseason run for Mendoza? Well, it didn’t exactly go as planned. The kid, who led Indiana to an undefeated season and a national title while winning the Heisman with 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six picks, looked a bit rough. He threw a bad interception early in their preseason loss to the Houston Texans, then another pick on his second play against the 49ers. He ended up 7 of 14 for 57 yards in that game. Kubiak didn’t mince words after the 49ers loss, telling ESPN, “[Mendoza] needs another three preseason games. All those rookies do, and now that the season’s starting, the practice reps get smaller, and that’s just life. But as coaches, we’ve got to get them ready to play, keep developing them.” Clearly, the dazzling college career didn’t immediately translate to NFL readiness for Kubiak.
The Raiders grabbing Mendoza with the No. 1 pick after his historic run with Indiana seemed like a no-brainer. They’re almost certainly going to turn the team over to him eventually. For now, though, he gets a gentler start to his professional career, learning behind Cousins. There’s no need for Kubiak, who’s in his first season as head coach, to rush anything. It’s unclear when Mendoza will get his shot, but you know this kid is itching for it. We’ll be watching to see how long Cousins can hold him off.
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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