Key facts
- Mendoza worked with Raiders first-team offense during joint practice with Texans on Tuesday
- Rookie completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and one touchdown in preseason opener vs Arizona Cardinals
- Head coach Klint Kubiak: plan was to have Mendoza face Texans’ top-ranked defense to accelerate his development
- Kirk Cousins is Raiders’ starting quarterback to begin the season, with Mendoza slated to eventually take over
The step forward
Rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza received his first extensive reps with the Las Vegas Raiders’ first-team offense during a joint practice with the Houston Texans on Tuesday. The move marked a deliberate progression for the young signal-caller as training camp continues.
What Mendoza has shown so far
Mendoza made his NFL debut in the Raiders’ preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, where he completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. That performance positioned him favorably for the next phase of his development.
Why the Texans practice mattered
Head coach Klint Kubiak designed Tuesday’s opportunity to test Mendoza against stronger competition. The Texans ranked first in the NFL in yardage allowed last season, giving the rookie a chance to work against a top-ranked defense. According to Kubiak, the practice was meant to accelerate Mendoza’s adjustment to professional football. “I wanted to see him going against the Texans’ ones. That was our plan all along,” Kubiak said after practice. “I thought he did some good things. I look forward to watching the tape. But just he and his teammates, all these young guys that we’re playing, we’ve got to get them up to speed real quick.”
The path forward
Kirk Cousins is the Raiders’ starting quarterback for the start of the season, but the organization’s plan is for Mendoza to eventually assume the role. The trajectory and timing remain uncertain, as NFL situations often shift, but this week’s work against Houston represents a key test in that development.
Sources
Featured photo: Bobak Ha’Eri via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)