The year is 2026, and the wait for the Las Vegas Raiders to finally have a real shot at a resurgence is finally over. The franchise is on the brink of a bright future thanks to the selection of Heisman Trophy and National Championship-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza stretches during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images 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 theon the roster. As the 2026 season approaches, one wonders when Mendoza will make his Raiders debut. May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak speaks during a news conference during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Imagesfor the Raiders in 2026.
Let's look at some dates of possible targets for Mendoza's debut in the NFL this upcoming season. May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza stretches during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images 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.
May 2, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza speaks during a news conference at the team’s Rookie Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images 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. May 2, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs through a drill during a Rookie Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Imagesto 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.
May 2, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs through a drill during a Rookie Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images 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. Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsJared Feinberg, a native of western North Carolina, has written about NFL football for nearly a decade. He has contributed to several national outlets and is now part of our On SI team as an NFL team reporter.
Jared graduated from UNC Asheville with a bachelor's degree in mass communications and later pursued his master's degree at UNC Charlotte. You can follow Jared Feinberg on Twitter at @JRodNFLDraft
Football Nfl Las Vegas Raiders Fernando Mendoza Klint Kubiak John Spytek NFL Draft Rookie Minicamp Organized Team Activities Kirk Cousins Potential Debut Scenarios Game Scenarios
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