Overview
- Reports over the past week show Kirk Cousins taking most first-team reps in OTAs while Fernando Mendoza has worked mainly with rookie units.
- Coverage on Saturday warned that Mendoza could realistically open the season listed third on the depth chart behind Cousins and Aidan O’Connell.
- Raiders coaches describe the quarterback decision as merit-based and practice-driven, meaning training camp and preseason reps will largely determine Mendoza’s timing for game action.
- Analysts point to Mendoza’s Heisman-winning college production and upside but caution that rookie quarterbacks often need time to adjust to NFL timing, reads, and under‑center work.
- The club’s staged approach reflects concerns about a thin supporting roster and a tough mid‑to‑late season road slate, which could push Mendoza’s first sustained starts to later in the year and shape Las Vegas’s short‑term playoff hopes.