Early reports out of Las Vegas suggest first-overall rookie Fernando Mendoza will sit behind veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to open the season. While Mendoza is still very likely to see action at some point in 2026, the transition could present a harsh reality for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
Fernando Mendoza Could Have a Challenging Rookie Season
Following the NFL’s official schedule release, analysts Tim Hasselbeck and Mina Kimes joined “NFL Live” to discuss the Raiders’ upcoming season and predict when Mendoza could potentially make his NFL debut.
While both analysts agreed the rookie is likely to take over at some point during the season, they also pointed out the difficult stretch of defenses he could face in the back half of the year.
“Roughly halfway through the season,” Hasselbeck predicted. “That’s Week 8. Unfortunately for Mendoza, the gauntlet of teams he would play after that has some pretty good defenses.”
“I do think they’ll want Cousins to start the season,” he added. “And it will be good for Mendoza to see that, but I will maintain that it is always easier for a guy to get better playing than it is for a guy to watch a guy play. Ultimately, at some point, you gotta make the move, and that’s why I think it’s Week 8.”
“It’s a little bit unfortunate,” Kimes said. “At the beginning of the season, you have some easier defenses than at the end, as Tim alluded to. The Broncos’ two times later in the year is not great. I wouldn’t be surprised if Raiders fans are a little bit disappointed and they want to see Mendoza earlier, and perhaps Kirk Cousins holds him off for a while, but I do agree with Tim, ultimately we will see him, and frankly, earlier is better.”
In Week 9, the Raiders head to San Francisco to face the 49ers. The following week, they host the reigning Super Bowl champion, Seattle Seahawks, before traveling to the Mile High City to play the Broncos defense, a unit that ranked 1st in 2025, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric.
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Week 12 is hardly any easier, as they fly to Cleveland to take on a Myles Garrett-led Browns group. Fresh off a bye week in Week 13, the gauntlet only continues, hosting the Los Angeles Chargers and Broncos again in Weeks 14 and 15, respectively. Thankfully for Mendoza and company, the Raiders will face the Tennessee Titans and the Arizona Cardinals in Weeks 16 and 17.
The latter half of Mendoza’s rookie campaign is expected to be extremely difficult. However, if he can stay poised in the pocket, deliver passes to stars like Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, and finish the final few weeks strong against weaker competition, he could build significant momentum heading into 2027.
