First Overall Pick Set To Start Preseason Week One

First Overall Pick Set To Start Preseason Week One

Fernando Mendoza has had an impressive last 12 months. He’s won a CFP National Championship and the Heisman trophy award, along with being selected first overall in this year’s draft by the Raiders. This Thursday, he will get his chance to shine on an NFL field.

The Raiders open the 2026 preseason against the Arizona Cardinals, where Mendoza will get the start. He will serve as the second string quarterback once the regular season commences, but for now, the field is his.

Head coach Klint Kubiak spoke with the media yesterday regarding Mendoza, “I look forward to seeing him out there with his teammates. There are a lot of guys we need to evaluate, but he will get plenty of reps.”

He is set to get snaps with the first-team offensive line, which makes the opportunity even more important. If he’s thrown into a game in the middle of the season, he’ll at least have experience with his offensive line. Mendoza has also been getting first team reps in camp when Cousins is off the field. 

Why Mendoza Will Sit Come Week One

The Raiders don’t look like they’re going to contend for a Super Bowl anytime soon, so many expected Mendoza to be named the starter. However, Kubiak had other plans. 15 year NFL veteran Kirk Cousins was named the team's starting quarterback on July 28th. Kubiak said in a July presser that, “When we go out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He’s the guy, and he deserves it because he’s played really good football.”

It appears that nothing has changed as the season approaches.

It’s clear that Mendoza has the tools to become a successful NFL quarterback. His 2025 season at Indiana is reason to believe that. However, sitting for the first half of the season, or even the whole season, could pay dividends. Learning from Kirk Cousins, who has over a decade of NFL experience playing on four different teams, is more beneficial than risking any injury or poor play.

Time and time again rookie quarterback’s careers are ruined before they even get a fair shot. NFL organizations are known to rush the process of developing quarterbacks. Fernando Mendoza is going to have a long NFL career, and there isn’t any reason to throw him out there until he’s absolutely ready.