Why Raiders aren't expected to start Fernando Mendoza in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Despite making him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders are not expected to start Fernando Mendoza during his rookie season.

In this day and age, it's expected that a No. 1 pick and quarterback plays right away, but that simply isn't the philosophy Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak subscribes to.

"Ideally, you don't want him to start from Day 1," Kubiak said. "You'd love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That's in a perfect world. It doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from Day 1, and it's our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show."

Instead of Mendoza, the Raiders are expected to start veteran Kirk Cousins, who was signed in free agency this offseason.

That said, Cousins has shown clear signs of decline in recent years and it may not be long before the Raiders turn the ball over to Mendoza if they don't give it to him immediately.