Todd McShay Quickly Shoots Down Narrative About Fernando Mendoza

Todd McShay had a blunt reaction to a rather head-scratching take on Fernando Mendoza's future with the Las Vegas Raiders.

by Tzvi Machlin

Apr 3, 2026

GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: ESPN sideline reporter Todd McShay reports before the college football game between the UCF Knights and the LSU Tigers on January 1, 2019 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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We're three weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft and the only thing we know for sure is that Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza will be the No. 1 overall pick and go to the Las Vegas Raiders. But some of the opinions and predictions for his short-term future are so silly that professionals have to take time to dismiss them.

That was the case for longtime NFL draft analyst Todd McShay, who reposted a user who insisted that the Raiders were not sold on Mendoza due to the team's recent signing of veteran Kirk Cousins. The user insisted that "in no world" should a No. 1 overall pick be backing up Cousins.

"The Raiders planning to start Cousins over Mendoza should tell you exactly how they feel about Mendoza. In no world should the 1st Overall pick backup a 37 year old washed QB while they are in rebuild mode," the user on X wrote earlier today.

McShay responded with a simple "Nah."

"Insane"

The post was obviously clickbait and seems to reject years and years of precedent of No. 1 overall picks not starting from Day 1 and the team having good backups in place to support them. Kurt Warner, Josh McCown and Andy Dalton are just a few of the players who started before No. 1 overall picks that wound up getting the starting job.

NFL fans were not at all amused by the obvious attempt to just get some ragebait and dismissed the initial post:

"Most insane thing I’ve ever read. Yes if you have a good vet you start the guy with experience while you teach the rookie the ropes. What are we doing here ?" one user wrote on X.

"He should probably delete this before he loses followers. Dumbest thing we'll see today," wrote another.

"See Mahomes / Alex Smith. worked out well," a third pointed out.

KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 06: Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks Alex Smith (11) and Patrick Mahomes (15) warm up before the AFC Wild Card game between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs on January 6, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The NFL draft really can't get here fast enough. The sooner the draft is over, the sooner we can stop focusing on these ridiculous draft takes and start focusing on more serious projections for the 2026 NFL season.

Whether or not Fernando Mendoza will be ready to start in Week 1, he is being anointed the future of the Las Vegas Raiders. Period. End of story.