The Las Vegas Raiders went into the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear vision for their future, and it started at quarterback. They selected Fernando Mendoza first overall, a Heisman Trophy winner and national champion out of Indiana, to be the face of a franchise that's overhauling its entire offensive identity under new head coach Klint Kubiak.
Kubiak arrived after a successful run as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator and brought Andrew Janocko along with him to serve as the Raiders' new offensive coordinator. Kubiak will handle play-calling on game days but the two are working closely on building this offense around Mendoza from the ground up.
Early during the offseason program, much of the attention has gone toward improving the mental side of his game and helping him grow within the system. While discussing that progress recently, Andrew Janocko pointed to one specific trait that has already stood out around the building.
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"He's somebody that wants to know the whys of everything, the story behind everything," Janocko said. "What we're calling, but why are we calling it. He's really just a sponge that wants to know everything. So it's a lot of fun working with a quarterback like that because he's coming in as a blank slate in this offense, never been in this offense before, and just asking a ton of questions."
That kind of intellectual curiosity from a rookie quarterback is exactly what a coaching staff wants to see early in the process.
Raiders Stay Patient With Fernando Mendoza's Development
The Raiders were never looking to throw Mendoza into the fire right away. The plan from the start was to bring him along behind veteran Kirk Cousins, which is a big reason why Cousins was signed in the first place.
Voices around the league have suggested Mendoza should start as a rookie, but internally, the Raiders haven't let that noise change their approach.
General manager John Spytek has made it clear that the best player will earn the starting job. There's no pressure to fast-track Mendoza into action before he's ready. That stance has been consistent since day one.
Still, the early returns suggest Mendoza is earning trust inside the building faster than a lot of people expected. When the time comes to make a call on the starting job, head coach Klint Kubiak will have a major say in the decision along with Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady.
