The Las Vegas Raiders are likely to have a QB room that features Kirk Cousins, who they signed as a free agent this offseason, and Fernando Mendoza, as many expect the Silver and Black to take the former Indiana Hoosiers QB No. 1 overall at the 2026 NFL Draft.
With the draft approaching on April 23, Mendoza has already made his visit to the Raiders as the team determines whether they want to take him with the first pick. Nonetheless, during that visit, the young QB spoke about meeting Cousins as the two will potentially be teammates.
“He was there in the building, and I was able to say hi to him—someone who has a very similar play style as me,” Mendoza told Kay Adams during his April 20 appearance on “Up & Adams.”
“I was able to watch all of his clips from the Minnesota Vikings. Funny enough, when I was at Berkeley, I just watched him to learn from his game, the way that he reads defenses, and his footwork.”
Moreover, Mendoza spoke about what it would be like to potentially be teammates on the Raiders this upcoming 2026 season.
“To be able to have this full-circle moment, someone who I’ve studied, to potentially get the opportunity to play with, someone who is a man of God, who’s very cerebral and has had so much success throughout his entire career, would be an absolute blessing,” Mendoza added.
“Whatever nuggets he would want to give that I would learn, I would take in and emulate in my own game, and hopefully I can be teammates with him. And he’s not only a great player, he’s a great leader, man.”
Raiders’ Kirk Cousins Gets Blunt About Fernando Mendoza
Cousins also had positive comments about Mendoza as the two appear likely to be teammates soon. Recently, during an appearance on “Good Morning Football,” Cousins spoke about the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and kind of let the cat out of the bag that he and Mendoza will be teammates.
“Honestly, I don’t want to start unless I’m the best option,” Cousins said on the April 8 edition of “Good Morning Football.” “I told Klint the best players should play. As long as that’s the case, I have no qualms with however it plays out. I do think Fernando is going to be a great addition to our team.
“He’s going to have a great future in the league. I have no problem being a voice in the room to help him to the degree that I can. He’s going to have great support all around him from the coaching staff. Being able to watch a veteran quarterback go through his habits, routines, and process can be a great asset for him.”
Fernando Mendoza Addresses RPO Concern
Questions remain, though, about how smoothly he’ll transition from Indiana’s RPO-style offense to a more traditional NFL-style offense.
Still, Mendoza is tackling those concerns head-on. Even before the Raiders or any team makes a pick, he’s working on adapting to a pro-style offense and refining the skills he knows will be crucial at the next level.
During an April 7 appearance on “Football 301 with Nate Tice, “Mendoza downplayed the RPO narrative surrounding him, calling it a potential concern for the Raiders or any team that selects him.
“The RPO narrative can definitely be seen as a knock, “ Mendoza said. “However, I’ve actually had four different offensive coordinators and four different systems, from pro-style my freshman year to run-and-shoot, to pure Air Raid, and last year, a more multiple-front approach.
“I also think the RPO forces you to make split-second decisions, reading defenders and how they move, and reacting in real time.”
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