Fernando Mendoza stayed patient as he waited for his turn to take the reins of the Las Vegas Raiders. Now, the moment has arrived. Mendoza will make his first start for the Raiders on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, and everyone will be curious to see if he can withstand the pressure.
What better test than throwing him into the fire against the defending champions, right?
While the 23-year-old rookie will have growing pains, Prime's James Palmer said the Raiders are very high on Mendoza's ability and potential.
“You would think if you got rid of your quarterback, who is the second in the NFL in touchdowns and fifth in passing, it would be a punch to the gut. Well, it is not in Las Vegas. Talking to people there over the last couple of weeks in practice, they all saw that Fernando Mendoza is more than ready to step into the starting spot,” said Palmer.
Las Vegas drafted Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in April, only to stash him as a backup to Kirk Cousins. With Cousins being traded to the Minnesota Vikings, coach Klint Kubiak has handed the keys to Mendoza.
Mendoza has only appeared in one game, going 6-of-8 for 48 yards in a mop-up job during a blowout loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5.
While he lacks experience, Mendoza is not exactly new to the bright lights, having led Indiana to the national title in January.
More details to come.