Raiders reporter in awe of Fernando Mendoza’s ‘spin’ at OTA appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Las Vegas Raiders are currently taking part in OTAs as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 season. The Raiders recently did as many expected by selecting quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick out of Indiana, although it’s unclear when the Heisman Trophy winner will start this season, as the team also signed veteran Kirk Cousins in free agency.
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It sure seems that Mendoza is making a positive first impression on the team based on his performance at practice thus far.
(Video via Levi Edwards on X, formerly Twitter).
Mendoza sure looks like a quarterback capable of taking over the reins of the franchise sooner rather than later, although, of course, only so much wisdom can be gleaned by practice videos in May.
Still, Raiders fans have to be excited about what they have in Mendoza after a tough 2025 season that saw Geno Smith regress into one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL and the team finish at the bottom of the barrel in the league.
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Unlike when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons and was then blindsided by the draft selection of Michael Penix Jr., Cousins was fully aware that he was not the long-term plan at quarterback when he signed with the Raiders, and instead will serve as a mentor figure for Mendoza as he looks to become an elite quarterback at the next level.
Mendoza dominated the competition at Indiana this past year en route to winning the Heisman Trophy award and national championship, and has said all the right things at his press conferences thus far in Las Vegas.
In any case, the Raiders’ schedule for the upcoming 2026 season is slated to be released on Thursday.
Related: Donald Trump sounds off on Fernando Mendoza’s absence from Hoosiers’ White House visit