Overview
- Fernando Mendoza is the Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick and 2025 Heisman winner who joined Las Vegas after leading Indiana to a national title.
- Las Vegas signed veteran Kirk Cousins to provide a ready Week‑1 option and coaches have signaled they are not rushing Mendoza into the starting role.
- Early offseason reports showed Mendoza working mostly with rookie units and experiencing some accuracy issues when facing first‑team defenders.
- Maxx Crosby and other veterans publicly mentored Mendoza on leadership and authenticity, and Mendoza said he is following coach-set progression mile markers.
- Mendoza had not yet signed his rookie contract because of a signing‑bonus payment-structure hold-up and the team expects training camp and preseason reps to be the decisive next step.