All the organizations in the NFL are having a make-or-break time for most of their NFL rosters. As we are approaching the last week of the preseason before cutdown day on August 30, most franchises have to come up with a decision.
While most analysts and fans were excited to see Fernando Mendoza as the team’s QB1, the franchise has seemingly decided to give him some time to develop with veteran player Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback.
Brady Quinn Urges Raiders To Start Fernando MendozaDuring a recent episode of The Dan Patrick Show, NFL analyst Brady Quinn discussed Mendoza’s performance and argued that the Raiders should start him in Week 1 and said:
“After watching the first preseason game, I was like, ‘Oh, he should probably be the starter.’”
As someone who spent seven seasons in the league as a quarterback, Quinn can offer valuable insight into the position, and he expanded on the Mendoza tape.
Quinn praised Mendoza and also said:
“Just watch the zipe from the ball coming out of his hands in comparison to Kirk, watching him move, even seeing at times him to kind of see the field, move through some of the progressions, I was like, ‘All right, why don’t we just go ahead and start the clock on Fernando Mendoza?”
“After watching one preseason game, I was like, ‘Oh! He should probably be starting.’” – @Brady_Quinn on Fernando Mendoza pic.twitter.com/jy5DzbfphU
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) August 27, 2026
The 2025 season of the Raiders was a complete disaster for the organization, as they finished with a 3-14 record. To change things this season, the organization drafted Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, and they signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins so that he could provide an experienced option at the position. The franchise also brought in Klint Kubiak as the new head coach.
Quinn also mentioned the fact that the veteran player has dealt with injuries and questioned whether he was the better player at this point in his career, but he believes it would be great to have him while allowing Mendoza to grow and learn from him.
“He’d be a great guy for young quarterbacks to learn from. But I also think he could be that insurance policy for you, where if put in Mendoza and he’s not coming along the way you’d like him to, you can also give him a bit of a break, or you also have that quarterback who can kind of be there to help guide him along through the entire process.”
Mendoza has shown amazing performances in his college career. He was drafted with the first overall pick after winning a national championship and the Heisman Trophy at Indiana.
With the regular season approaching, the Raiders will give Cousins opportunities to shine with his years of experience in the NFL, however, if he ends up underperforming we could see Mendoza take the field sooner rather than later.
More NFL news from Gridiron Heroics
- ’Couldn’t Have Found Himself in a Better Spot’ — NFL Insider Raves Over Rams’ Handling of Ty Simpson Months After Draft Pick Backlash
- This Is Pretty Delicate’ — Ex NFL Scout Highlights Issues With 49ers and Christian McCaffery’s Contract Challenges
The post NFL Analyst Drops Bold Fernando Mendoza Advise to Raiders As Kirk Cousins Hold QB1 Spot appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
Leave a Comment