Raiders' Mark Davis feels 'absolutely no pressure whatsoever' to play Fernando Mendoza over Kirk Cousins

Earlier this fall, Las Vegas Raiders principal owner Mark Davis suggested he was in no rush to bench starting quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza. 

Per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Davis insisted during a Monday appearance on CNBC that he feels "absolutely no pressure whatsoever" to force first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak to hand Mendoza starts anytime soon. 

Raiders feel "fortunate" that Fernando Mendoza "doesn’t have to go out and play" this fall

"Today, there’s a lot of pressure put on teams when they draft a guy No. 1 that you have to play him right away," Davis explained. "That’s why I think we were so fortunate to get Kirk Cousins as someone who could bridge the gap and let this young man learn a lot about what football is in the pros, the speed of the game, and the things that have to be done. And he’s picking it up great, but I think we’re fortunate he doesn’t have to go out and play." 

A report from last week revealed that "the plan all along has been to sit Mendoza as long as possible," perhaps through and beyond the Raiders' Week 13 bye. Cousins then helped the Raiders earn a 38-33 win at the New York Jets this past Sunday that improved Las Vegas to 4-4, ended the club's four-game losing streak and quieted chatter about Mendoza being named the team's starter ahead of the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline. 

Mark Davis taking Tom Brady's advice regarding the development of Fernando Mendoza

Since the summer, multiple reports have noted that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady "is invested in making sure Mendoza is a success" and "has been vocal about his belief that rookie quarterbacks need to develop from the sideline." It sounds like Davis has been listening to what Brady has had to say about the first-year pro. 

"I’ve seen quarterbacks get fast-tracked onto the field and they may do well, but they don’t learn all the intricacies of footwork and everything else it takes," Davis added. "So they’re limited in their development, maybe throughout their career. I’m really happy with the way it is with Fernando right now, and we’ll see what happens." 

Davis also noted that Mendoza is working with Brady "on a lot of things" behind the scenes. Davis' latest comments could lead one to believe there is at least a chance that Mendoza won't make a regular-season start before next September if Cousins stays healthy through Week 18 of the ongoing campaign.