The Las Vegas Raiders are full of optimism going into the 2026 NFL season. After a disastrous 2025 campaign with Geno Smith as quarterback and Pete Carroll as head coach, the organization decided to move on from both.
Bringing in Klint Kubiak as the new head coach, they also signed Kirk Cousins as a quarterback option. But the new timeline comes from their rookie selection, Fernando Mendoza, who could be the franchise star moving forward. But the youngster is still taking some time to get used to the city.
Fernando Mendoza Is Trying To Embrace Las Vegas
A spectacular year for the Indiana Hoosiers culminated in Mendoza taking home the Heisman Trophy and winning the College Football Playoff national championship. As a result, he seemed like the overwhelming choice for the first overall pick.
The Raiders went straight ahead with that selection, but they are taking a more gradual approach to incorporating him into the starting lineup. The expectation is for Cousins to be the starting quarterback in Week 1.
Then, depending on his growth, Kubiak will insert the rookie into the starting lineup when he sees fit. Until then, though, Mendoza is already showing some incredible traits of good decision-making.
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The Athletic’s Mike Silver had a conversation with Mendoza and shared that the first preseason game “will be one of the few occasions on which the 6-foot-5 quarterback has ventured even close to the Strip since the Raiders selected him with the first overall pick in April’s draft.”
While talking about it, Mendoza confessed, “I’ve been there once or twice, but I haven’t really experienced the Strip. It’s like a boogeyman. A lot of people talk about the Strip like, ‘You don’t want to go there.’”
The first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft showed off his humor chops as well, adding, “It’s like when you’re a kid; you’re trick-or-treating, and there’s the haunted house. You’re not trying to go over there.”
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Rather than focusing on the Strip and its attractions, Mendoza kept his focus on other attractions the city had to offer. Believing that those might not be the best choices for his football career, he admitted that he was trying to avoid them.
“In Vegas, there is a lot to do, and sometimes it can be seen as activities that wouldn’t be supporting a healthy football lifestyle,” Mendoza added. “But there are different things that you can go see and do that aren’t degenerative activities, per se. There are some great restaurants. But I’m probably not going to be playing blackjack till late at night.”
It might take some time during the regular season before Mendoza is regularly lining up under center. But he is already embracing every aspect of his city, which can only endear him to his fan base.
Moreover, his rationale for avoiding the Strip might offer deeper insight into his decision-making, as he keeps his focus on the field, which will be vital as a quarterback.
