Raiders' preseason opener could be Fernando Mendoza show

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Raiders' preseason opener vs. Cardinals could be Fernando Mendoza show

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Aug 11, 2026 10:04 PM ET

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza will be the headlining act in the team's preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday (8 p.m. ET).

On Tuesday, Raiders rookie head coach Klint Kubiak confirmed starters will play, meaning QB Kirk Cousins will lead the way. After that, expect to see 2026 No. 1 overall pick Mendoza mostly.

Klint Kubiak expands on plans for Fernando Mendoza

Kubiak said Mendoza will get "plenty of experience" in Thursday's game at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas, via The Athletic's Sam Warren. The coach didn't elaborate on how much the QB will play with the starting O-line.

Regardless, it will offer the Raiders one of their best looks at Mendoza and give them a better idea of how close he is to pushing for the starting role. Four-time Pro Bowler Cousins is slated to begin the season as the starter, giving the rookie more time to learn.

Klint Kubiak said the starters will play in the Raiders preseason game on Thursday. Also, Fernando Mendoza is going to get "plenty of experience."

Didn't get into specifics, but said the team has a plan for how much he wants the 1s, 2s and 3s to play.
— Sam Warren (@samwarren83) August 11, 2026

Mendoza appears to be absorbing information quickly. Kubiak praised his growth throughout the offseason program and training camp, complimenting his preparation and ability to learn from mistakes. Now, he must see if that'll translate to games.

"That will be a whole other animal," Kubiak said, via ESPN's Ryan McFadden.

Mendoza is well-equipped for the transition to the pros. In 2025, he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Indiana Hoosiers (a basketball school) to their first national title in football. College, however, isn't the NFL.

Mendoza must show he's learned to operate outside of Indiana's system, which leaned heavily on RPOs (read-pass options) and other short passes. Per Pro Football Focus, 41.6 percent of his 353 pass attempts in 2025 were between zero and nine air yards (distance the ball travels through the air from the line of scrimmage)

The best passing offenses in the NFL rely more on play-action passes. For example, Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, 2025 league MVP, led the league in play-action passing yards (2,121 on 245 attempts) last season, via PFF.

Mendoza will have plenty of chances to work on pushing the ball downfield more against Arizona. The Raiders clearly want him to gain more experience and potentially put on a show for fans who hope he becomes a franchise QB.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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