Fernando Mendoza feels as though he is coming along well in learning the Las Vegas Raiders’ West Coast offense. As a guest on Monday’s episode of the “Up & Adams Show,” Mendoza attributed his growth in learning the nuances of the West Coast offense to his work with former longtime NFL QB Brian Griese.
“With Brian, I was able to work a lot of under center, and a lot of concepts that’ll be run in every offense, whether it’s the West Coast offense or not,” Mendoza said. “So day one, I’m comfortable going under center, staying in cadence. Calm to play in the huddle.”
How does Fernando Mendoza feel playing under center?The Indiana QB on reaching out to Brian Griese for guidance in the West Coast system@briangriese | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/xDMFRdksA2
Mendoza executed run-pass option plays, and played out of the shotgun in 2025 at Indiana. Learning the West Coast offense and developing mastery in playing under center will be vital for the Miami native, in the event that the Raiders fulfill expectations by selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders ranked No. 21 in the NFL in passing attempts last season with 515. Las Vegas averaged 6.4 yards per attempt in the passing game, ranking third-worst in the league. Mendoza is expected to be in line to fight for the Raiders’ starting job at quarterback for next season, making his learning curve with the high-octane offense critical toward his, as well as the team’s outlook in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Fernando Mendoza working with former NFL QB to get jump on Raiders’ offense
