Mendoza vs Miami Round II?

Mendoza vs Miami Round II?

The NFL didn’t wait long to bring us a Miami and Fernando Mendoza reunion. 

The 2026 schedule is set to be released on Thursday at 8 p.m., but bits and pieces of the long-awaited slate continue to shuffle out by the minute. Two of the Dolphins’ 2026 matchups have been announced, including a Sunday evening game with plenty of storylines. 

We’ve known that Miami and the Las Vegas Raiders would square off at some point in the season, but it makes too much sense that this would be the season-opener. 

Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, has the opportunity to suit up for the Raiders right off the bat. Mendoza completed the trifecta this season: he was the Heisman Trophy winner, the National Championship-winning quarterback, and the first selection in the draft.

Las Vegas signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a one-year, $20 million deal in April. The 37-year-old is on the fourth team of his career and four years removed from leading the Vikings to a 13-4 season, highlighted by his 4,547 passing yards. 

Cousins has been a proven starter, but he didn’t have the most productive final season in Atlanta. He threw for 1,721 yards in 10 games and posted his lowest completion percentage (61.7) since his sophomore campaign in 2013. 

When Cousins signed with the Raiders a month ago, it wasn’t promised that he would be the Day 1 starter. While the quarterback tandem will compete in training camp, the journeyman’s chances of opening the season at the helm are dwindling. 

If Cousins were to see a younger quarterback start over him, which has happened multiple times throughout his career, it would be a highly anticipated reunion in Las Vegas. 

Mendoza hoisted the CFP National Championship trophy to the sea of cream and crimson at Hard Rock Stadium. He and the rest of the Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Miami Hurricanes in a tight contest, but the win carried a personal weight. 

Mendoza attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami and is a proud Cuban-American who grew up just a mile from the University of Miami. He took down his hometown school on the greatest stage, and now has a chance to start against the team he grew up around. 

If Mendoza beats Cousins for the starting job, be prepared for media outlets praising “Miami-Mendoza Round II.” Yes, the lights would be brighter if the rookie returned home to face the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium, but Allegiant Stadium will suffice.