When will Fernando Mendoza start for the Raiders? originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Las Vegas Raiders loom as a fascinating watch in 2026 for a host of reasons, but the biggest is the quarterback room with Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
For most No. 1 overall picks, they start right out of the gate for their new team, but that often leads to poor play and the rookie getting overwhelmed by NFL defenses.
So, Klint Kubiak, the Raiders head coach, made it known that he wants a veteran to start, so many assume it’ll be Cousins to begin 2026.
But when could we see Mendoza? CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles has an idea.
“Cousins will open the season as the starter. How far he goes is TBD,” Pereles wrote. “The Raiders have a manageable start — Dolphins, at Chargers, at Saints — before a rough stretch of Chiefs, at Patriots, Bills, Rams.
“Let’s circle Week 8 at the Jets as a strong possibility for Mendoza to make his first start.”
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Mendoza has ideal situation in Las Vegas
Sitting behind a veteran like Cousins for the entire offseason will do wonders for Mendoza, simply because he will be able to learn so much from the veteran. Plus, he’ll be able to learn the playbook without the pressure of having to get up to speed straight away.
And if what Pereles thinks comes true, and Fernando starts in Week 8, that’ll give him two months of exposure to the NFL on game days, and he will get an understanding of how things work.
Of course, he could see the field earlier or later than Week 8, but to have a full offseason and potentially half of his rookie year to sit and learn what it takes to be an NFL quarterback could set Mendoza up for success early in his NFL career.