The Fernando Mendoza hype train was getting ready to leave the station after the first week of preseason, but now it’s time to pump the brakes.
Mendoza has looked much more like a rookie quarterback learning the NFL game over the past two weeks. Some analysts reacted to the tough time that the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback had in his preseason action against the San Francisco 49ers.
Fernando Mendoza’s Performance vs. 49ers Draws Mixed Reactions
The 49ers gave Mendoza problems in his third game of the preseason. He’s shown flashes of brilliance and why he deserved to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, but also some growing pains that come with just about every rookie QB.
Panicking at this stage in Mendoza’s career would be overreacting, as he is supposed to be the Raiders’ long-term answer at quarterback and is more than susceptible to a learning curve.
The Raiders are surrounding him with great organizational building blocks in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, but PFN’s draft analyst Ian Cummings thinks the Raiders need more weapons for Mendoza.
START PREPARING: PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
“I think more than anything about Fernando Mendoza himself, the Raiders preseason finale puts the emphasis on Las Vegas’ need for more weapons long-term. With Jeremiah Smith, Charlie Becker, and Cam Coleman on the board potentially next cycle, they’ll have options early on,” said Cummings.
PFN’s Director of Media Partnerships Jacob Infante agreed with Cummings and wrote, “There are certainly improvement areas that stand out when watching Mendoza in the preseason so far, but this was never going to be a one-year fix in Vegas I don’t think people should panic because of some rocky preseason play.”
Agreed. There are certainly improvement areas that stand out when watching Mendoza in the preseason so far, but this was never going to be a one-year fix in Vegas
I don’t think people should panic because of some rocky preseason play
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) August 28, 2026
Mendoza has sky-high expectations as the No. 1 pick, as did Jeanty last season after the incredible final collegiate seasons each player had. Jeanty wasn’t the immediate impact player that fans expected, but he showed plenty of flashes.
“Ashton Jeanty is a generational prospect and he had a learning curve that we didn’t like. Anyone who thought the Mendoza switch was just going to flip and he’d be great was dreaming,” Kyle Soppe wrote on X. “Like the kid. Might be great. But this was always going to take time (the situation and for him).”
Ashton Jeanty is a generational prospect and he had a learning curve that we didn’t like
Anyone who thought the Mendoza switch was just going to flip and he’d be great was dreaming
Like the kid. Might be great. But this was always going to take time (the situation and for him) https://t.co/XxulsdhvlY
— Kyle Soppe (@KyleSoppePFN) August 28, 2026
Mendoza’s struggles aren’t just on his shoulders, either. He’s being left out there behind unimpressive pass protection. The Raiders’ offensive line is a tough watch and consistently gives up pressure, forcing Mendoza into difficult situations. He was sacked twice against the 49ers, and also threw an interception.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
PFN’s Oliver Hodgkinson called out the Raiders for allowing Mendoza to play behind such a poor offensive line unit in the final preseason game, where many teams have opted to rest key players.
“Trotting your no. 1 overall pick, long term franchise quarterback out behind this offensive line in the final preseason game is certainly a choice,” said Hodgkinson. “Fernando Mendoza has flashed his arm talent plenty this preseason, but it’ll be for nothing if his confidence is beaten out of him.”
Trotting your no. 1 overall pick, long term franchise quarterback out behind this offensive line in the final preseason game is certainly a choice.
Fernando Mendoza has flashed his arm talent plenty this preseason, but it’ll be for nothing if his confidence is beaten out of him. https://t.co/uXQH4iANcl
— Oliver Hodgkinson (@hodgkinsonsport) August 28, 2026
The Raiders have to be patient with Mendoza. It’s not clicking immediately, and that’s fine because Las Vegas brought in veteran Kirk Cousins, too.
“Let’s not overreact to a few preseason games, but it’s safe to say the Raiders did right by bringing in a vet like Kirk Cousins,” said PFN’s Brandon Austin.
Let’s not overreact to a few preseason games, but it’s safe to say the Raiders did right by bringing in a vet like Kirk Cousins. 👀
— Brandon Austin (@BrandonMAustin) August 28, 2026
Cousins seems to be on track to start Week 1 for Las Vegas, and Mendoza will be waiting his turn to be QB1. But PFN’s analysts aren’t overreacting, and fans shouldn’t either. When Mendoza’s time comes, it may be a completely different situation, and he will look more than ready to dissect NFL defenses.
According to PFN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Raiders offense ranked second-worst in the league last season with an impact score of 54.0. Fortunately for Mendoza, Cousins and head coach Klint Kubiak will likely improve the playing conditions before he starts.
