Fernando Mendoza had plenty to review after his first NFL preseason appearance, but the rookie quarterback’s biggest concern was not his stat line. The Las Vegas Raiders rookie focused on what he believed he owed his teammates after a 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
This approach showed the No. 1 overall pick’s high standards, but it also raised a question about how much blame a rookie should carry in August. Former NFL head coach Eric Mangini was not convinced Mendoza had the right perspective.
Eric Mangini Takes Issue With Fernando Mendoza’s Self-Criticism
Mendoza completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in his preseason debut. He also avoided throwing any interceptions and connected with Jack Bech on a six-yard touchdown during a 10-play, 79-yard scoring drive.
Yet the rookie walked away unhappy with his performance. Mendoza acknowledged that his timing was not where he wanted it and pointed to the sack he took as another area for improvement.
“Overall, I felt the group that I was in with, they blocked fantastic,” Mendoza said after the loss. “They had great routes. The run game was good. Unfortunately, I let my teammates down today. But it’s a growing experience.”
His comments after the game drew Mangini’s attention.
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Mangini addressed those comments on “First Things First” and pushed back on Mendoza’s “good guy” approach to the loss.
“I get it, you’re a good guy… This is preseason. You didn’t let anybody down,” Mangini said.
The former head coach then separated Mendoza’s overall performance from the physical mistakes he wanted the rookie to correct.
“When you got hit, that let me down,” Mangini said. “But the other part, no… I don’t think that flies in the locker room for a while.”
“I get it, you’re a good guy… This is preseason. You didn’t let anybody down.. When you got hit, that let me down. But the other part, no… I don’t think that flies in the locker room for a while.”
Coach Mangini reacts to Mendoza saying he let team down after preseason loss: pic.twitter.com/NsyIwVwkya
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) August 14, 2026
Mangini’s point was not that Mendoza should ignore mistakes. Instead, his comments focused on how the quarterback responds to them. The Raiders, who ranked 31st in PFN’s Offense Impact Metric for 2025, did not enter the game expecting a rookie to play mistake-free football, especially with Mendoza experiencing NFL game speed for the first time.
Mendoza did show enough to give Las Vegas reasons for optimism. He settled down after an opening three-and-out and produced a touchdown drive on his next possession. His 100.3 passer rating also showed a productive night despite the Raiders’ loss.
Mendoza became the first No. 1 overall pick since Baker Mayfield in 2018 to throw a touchdown during his preseason debut.
Still, the rookie has more work ahead. Kirk Cousins remains the expected Week 1 starter, while Mendoza is set for additional preseason opportunities. His next test comes against the Houston Texans on Aug. 20.
