Raiders GM John Spytek promises Fernando Mendoza’s time is coming on 1 condition

Fernando Mendoza is entering his first season in the NFL without the keys to the offense, with the Las Vegas Raiders giving it to veteran Kirk Cousins — for now.

The former Indiana Hoosiers star signal-caller Mendoza will eventually get his chance to run the team’s offense from under center as a starter, but he’ll have to continue proving himself every day first, according to general manager John Spytek.

“His time is coming, but he’s got to earn it every day,” Spytek said (h/t Paul Gutierrez of the Raiders’ official site).

Mendoza had an up-and-down preseason experience, averaging just 5.3 yards per attempt and posting a lethargic 55.6 percent completion rate. Those numbers are from a small sample size, but perhaps gave the Raiders something to think about.

Even though they were widely expected to use their No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Mendoza, the Raiders decided to sign Cousins weeks before the draft to a two-year, $12.645 million contract.

Still, Mendoza is viewed as the long-term answer at quarterback for Las Vegas, a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2021 season. The Raiders have also not won a playoff game since the 2002 campaign.

That long stretch of mediocrity has left fans viewing Mendoza as a franchise savior, but the Raiders are seemingly being careful with their approach to the 22-year-old quarterback, who generated a ton of NFL hype after leading the Hoosiers to an improbable run in the 2025 college football season, leading the program to an undefeated campaign capped by a College Football Playoff National Championship title.

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