Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza Details Strong Bond With Kirk Cousins
It has been a learning curve for first overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Both the Las Vegas Raiders and Mendoza knew it would be when they were making the pick for him. With a new head coach in Klint Kubiak, it was good to get a rookie quarterback who is also coming into a team that has a fresh start.
Mendoza is taking it all in and just getting into it and taking it one day at a time. He is not looking ahead to the expectations that people have for him. He is focused on the here and now.
Mendoza has gotten better since he has gotten to Las Vegas, and a lot has to do with being with this new coaching staff that is going to have the best interest of the future quarterback for this franchise.
The Raiders are surrounding Mendoza with teammates who will help him be better, and that will make the transition from college to the NFL better. The biggest one that comes to mind is veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins is teaching Mendoza the offense and much more.
Coaching and Quarterback Match Has Been Second to None
These two know the role that they will play going into next season and want to be the best for the team and each other. Cousins knows this offense more than any quarterback in the NFL. That is why they brought him in to be the starter; well, Mendoza develops in the background.
Mendoza is going to be the future, but Cousins is the now, and they are not going to get in each other's way. That is the communication this team is showing, and it hasn't been their strongest area in the past.
"He Kirk [Cousins] is definitely helping me a lot," said Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza. "He has been in this offense before. So, he already has a little bit of an upper hand in a sense where he has been able to teach the other quarterbacks and have experience with the plays, not just in practice, not just in scrimmages, but in actual games. He sees how these plays have played out. He has had experience with Coach Kubiak, which has been so interesting to see."
It was the perfect match for this group to come together with Kubiak, Cousins, and Mendoza. The plan is set, and they will stick to it. A lot of good things are coming for this team in the desert.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi as Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza Details Strong Bond With Kirk Cousins.
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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 9:00 AM.