‘Going to Play Earlier’: NFL Analyst Makes Bold Prediction on Fernando Mendoza’s Turn As QB1
· Yahoo Sports
The Las Vegas Raiders picked Fernando Mendoza as No.1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, leaving many fans excited about the selection as he was just coming out of a thrilling year with the Indiana Hoosiers, helping them win a national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy honor.
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While most fans and analysts thought the Raiders would let Mendoza take the steering wheel in his hands early on, the franchise brought in Kirk Cousins, a veteran quarterback.
As the Raiders complete two days of training with Cousins as the QB1, analyst Mina Kimes made a prediction on Thursday about when Fernando Mendoza might take the stage in the upcoming season.
“I think that he is going to play earlier than maybe they’re saying right now or people expect, in part because it always happens. We’ve been covering this league for a long time. The rookie quarterbacks, the first rounders, especially 1-1 picks, they never sit for long. I think for Vegas, the readiness is a factor and I do think he’ll be ready from a, you know, understanding the offense perspective. The thing I’d be wary of is the offensive line. I’d want to see that this offensive line is functional and capable of protecting him before rolling him out there because last year this was one of the worst offensive lines in football. Obviously, they signed Linderbaum, but it does need to improve a great deal.” Kimes said.
Analyst Left Unimpressed with Klint Kubiak’s Decision to Pick Kirk Cousins as QB1
Klint Kubiak explained that Cousins is scheduled to get a lot of reps and added that he deserves them, while pointing out that he wants Mendoza and Aidan O’Connell to push the veteran quarterback.
Talking about Kubiak’s decision to give Cousins the QB1 role for the training camp, Jason McIntyre expressed his frustration on Wednesday on “The Colin Cowherd Show”:
“I am not excited to watch Kirk Cousins play football. At least. Not at all. Now, it’s interesting. The schedule makers didn’t really give the Raiders any prime-time spots, despite having the number-one pick. I mean, look at the schedule. There are a lot of bad games on there. Let’s start with the Dolphins, who have one of the lowest win totals in the league.“ McIntyre said.
McIntyre added that giving Cousins the QB1 spot does nothing for the team’s future and advised Kubiak to “just throw” Mendoza out there.
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