Identifying When Fernando Mendoza Should Start for Raiders in 2026
It is hard not to be excited about the Las Vegas Raiders. For the first time in years, there is something hopeful to aspire to with this franchise after General Manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak made the call to select Heisman Trophy and National Championship-winning Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Mendoza is a special talent and is a proven winner heading to the NFL. However, he likely won't be the initial starter as veteran Kirk Cousins enters offseason training activities as the top signal-caller on the roster. As the 2026 season approaches, one wonders when Mendoza will make his Raiders debut.
The schedule looks somewhat favorable for the Raiders in 2026. Let's look at some dates of possible targets for Mendoza's debut in the NFL this upcoming season.
Target No. 1 - vs. Miami Dolphins, Week 1
This could be more realistic than some believe, especially if Mendoza impresses so much during the summer, training camp, and preseason that Kubiak has no choice but to start his talented rookie passer. I'm not sure that Kubiak will feel comfortable throwing his rookie into the fire right away, but kickoff weekend has to be considered nonetheless.
Target No. 2 - vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Week 4
The environment in Las Vegas would be nothing like it has been since 2021, when the Raiders made the postseason. A top overall draft pick making his debut against a potentially undefeated Chiefs team with Patrick Mahomes returning would be unbelievable to see and would raise the stakes for this matchup. If Cousins isn't looking sharp here, Kubiak could turn to Mendoza, but this still feels early for the rookie.
Target No. 3 - vs. Los Angeles Rams, Week 7
Week 7 feels like a great spot for Mendoza to get the starting nod, especially if the Raiders and Cousins are struggling to find consistency on offense after six weeks. This game would follow another home game against the Buffalo Bills, and it would set up Mendoza perfectly for a great sample size of experience and growth across all sorts of games, situations, and environments.
Target No. 4 - vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Week 14
This would be a shocker to see Mendoza not make his debut until December, but looking at the games and defenses the Raiders offense has to face after their matchup against the Rams scares me, even if the rookie needs those reps and experiences against different systems. Coming off a bye and with three consecutive home games, the Raiders have five weeks to get an idea of what they have in their top pick ahead of an important 2027 offseason.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Identifying When Fernando Mendoza Should Start for Raiders in 2026.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 6:30 AM.