It took longer than for most quarterbacks drafted first overall, but Fernando Mendoza’s moment came in Las Vegas.
Tuesday’s Kirk Cousins trade means Mendoza is now the Raiders’ No. 1 quarterback and will make his first NFL start in Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. The Raiders entered the season determined to give Mendoza as much time as possible to learn from Cousins and their 4-5 start made it easier to stick to the plan rather than turn attention to the future.
The move would have waited a little longer if the Vikings weren’t motivated buyers following Monday night’s disastrous performance against the Bills, but general manager John Spytek said during a news conference Tuesday that the trade wouldn’t have happened without Mendoza showing the team he was ready.
“It’s something he’s worked very hard to achieve from the moment he walked into this building,” Spytek said. “He passed every test. I don’t want to say he deserved it, but he put us in a position where we had to make a very difficult decision today with his growth as a person, as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback.”
Even though the Raiders believe Mendoza is ready, it’s a big change to go from the practice field to the game and the Seahawks are a tough first opponent for the rookie. The Raiders, however, chose Mendoza to be their leader, and head coach Klint Kubiak said Mendoza “exceeded those expectations” while learning from a good teacher.
“I think with the right model it will accelerate its growth and we had, you know, we had the right model,” Kubiak said.
Becoming a starter is just the beginning for Mendoza and it marks the beginning of an era that the Raiders hope will take them back to the upper echelons of the AFC in the years to come.
Gn sports
