How Fernando Mendoza played with Raiders starters for first time after Kirk Cousins’ punishment

Las Vegas Raiders training camp is off to quite a “Raiders-y” start, as starting quarterback Kirk Cousins and star defender Maxx Crosby were held out of practice following a training camp fight. What this does mean, though, is that the team’s No. 1 overall pick did get his first real chance to run with the starters. So, let’s take a look at how Fernando Mendoza played with the starters.

“Mendoza had his good and bad moments. He overthrew wide receiver Jack Bech a couple of times. And he had trouble securing the ball when snapped to him by Tyler Linderbaum and Jordan Meredith,” ESPN’s Ryan McFadden reported from Henderson, NV. “Mendoza, however, didn’t get flustered. He had one of his best throws of camp during the red zone period. He threw a touchdown pass to Tre Tucker, in which he zipped the ball through tight coverage by cornerback Taron Johnson.”

There were more highlights throughout the day at Raiders training camp as well.

“Mendoza also threw touchdowns to tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer,” McFadden continued. “The highlight of the day was Mendoza’s efficiency during the two-minute period to close out practice. He completed five straight passes, including a throw to Tucker in tight coverage, to set up a field goal from kicker Matt Gay.”

Overall, Mendoza running with the ones seemed to go exactly how you would expect a No. 1 overall pick’s first time to go. There were ups and downs, leaving plenty of room for improvement, but also flashes of brilliance, which makes sense considering he was the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

While Cousins will return to his QB1 role when he gets back to practice, it may not be for long if Mendoza continues to progress this preseason.

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