Raiders' Fernando Mendoza hints at surprise Kirk Cousins starting decision after NFL Draft 1st pick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Fernando Mendoza was, as expected, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Now, the question is whether to expect Mendoza to start in Week 1 for the Raiders or not.
Usually, the first overall pick QB does indeed get that gig.
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He's certainly not approaching anything like it's a given. This is what he told reporters in his post-draft press conference late Thursday night:
“I believe I’m still the underdog. I can tell you right now, I’m not one of the 32 quarterbacks. I’m at the bottom of the totem pole right now. I’m ready to do whatever the team needs.”
The underdog comment makes sense. Mendoza wasn't known to be this level of a prospect when he transferred from Cal to Indiana, and then he led the Hoosiers to the national title and won the Heisman Trophy.
But his confidence in saying that right now he's not one of the NFL's 32 quarterbacks could be read into as more than just him being humble.
It could mean he views Kirk Cousins as the Raiders' Week 1 starter after Vegas signed the veteran this offseason.
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There's a chance that early-season sitting has already been discussed with Mendoza, too.
Of course, maybe this is reading too deeply into it. And obviously if Mendoza looks very ready during camp, the Raiders aren't going to hold him back.
But it does seem there's at least a chance Cousins starts, which was a possibility some Raiders writers have already floated.
That'd require some serious patience for the Raiders fans who are pumped to see Mendoza play, but if it works out in the long haul, then it's worth it.
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