Fernando Mendoza told to address two things as Raiders make $52m decision on rookie QB

Fernando Mendoza has officially put pen to paper, marking the start of his Las Vegas Raiders career.

It was thought the delay in the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft signing his first pro contract was due to the payment schedule for his signing bonus.

Las Vegas Raiders

However, the wait is over, as on Thursday, the Raiders announced they had signed Mendoza to a four-year rookie deal worth $52.27 million.

Entering training camp, the Heisman Trophy winner will be competing with Kirk Cousins and Aidan O’Connell for the Raiders’ starting job.

Las Vegas signed veteran Cousins this offseason to serve as a bridge/mentor to Mendoza, despite the fact the veteran doesn’t see it that way.

The expectation is that new head coach Klint Kubiak will go with Cousins for the start of the 2026 NFL season, and let Mendoza soak in knowledge on the side.

However, that’s not guaranteed, and now that the contract is signed, Mendoza will be able to focus fully on his rookie season.

According to ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates, footwork and mechanics are two fundamentals Mendoza will be working on this summer.

“There are some physical things that it’s important for Fernando Mendoza to show in training camp,” Yates said. 

“Footwork, mechanics, and the things that any young quarterback has to show during his rookie training camp.

“Other than that, though, it’s all about the mental side for Fernando Mendoza because the reality is that, physically, his skill set is superior, perhaps far superior, to Kirk Cousins at this stage of Cousins’ career.

“But Kirk Cousins knows this offense about as well as anybody who’s not on the Raiders coaching staff, including Klint Kubiak and his assistants.

“I think when you’re dealing with a young quarterback, there’s an innate pressure on that player because he’s the No. 1 overall pick.”

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Last season in college, Mendoza led the Indiana Hoosiers to their first national championship and an undefeated 16-0 season.

He started all 16 games and finished with 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns to six interceptions.

It was the NFL’s worst kept secret that Mendoza would become a Raider, despite claims that rival Ty Simpson, who landed with the LA Rams, was the better quarterback.

Yet despite those impressive numbers in Mendoza’s one-and-done with Indiana, Yates added that having the youngster learn from Cousins can’t do any harm.

“Fans are going to want to see [Mendoza],” Yates added.

“Frankly, I want to see him play as soon as possible. But this allows the team to alleviate a little bit of the pressure from Fernando Mendoza and perhaps let him learn some things from the sidelines.

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“You can’t learn it all, but there are some things you can glean from the sidelines.

“It also allows Kirk Cousins, who, even if he’s no longer at the physical peak of his career, still knows this offense well enough to operate it properly.

“Mendoza can see exactly what goes into this system and eventually add the physical traits he brings to the table. Then this offense can reach the heights it hopes to achieve.”

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