The Las Vegas Raiders vastly improved their QB room in the last few months, going from Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett to Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza, who they took with the No. 1 pick.
With the draft in the rear-view mirror, the Raiders will now need to analyze their QB situation to determine who will be the Week 1 starter in a few months. With Cousins in the fold, the Silver and Black likely want Mendoza to sit and learn.
Nonetheless, there’s a chance Mendoza outplays Cousins in training camp and the preseason, forcing the team’s hand to play him rather than going with the veteran.
During the April 28 edition of “The Herd,” former NFL QB Robert Griffin III shared his thoughts on the Raiders’ QB situation, stating that winning 10 games for Las Vegas is a possibility if Mendoza starts from Week 1.
“I don’t think the Raiders winning 10 games is out of the question, but I think they only win 10 games if Fernando Mendoza is the starter Day 1,” Griffin said. “The reason I say that is you talked about bringing in Tyler Linderbaum.
“That takes a little bit off the quarterback when it comes to diagnosing the defense, the run fronts, where’s the pressure coming from. Not that Fernando Mendoza can’t do that. We certainly know that Kirk Cousins has experience doing that…
“I think Fernando brings this team the identity that they need from the quarterback position, from a leadership standpoint. This guy’s willing to do anything it takes to help his team win games. He’s not there to pad stats. He’s not there to look good on the box score. He only wants to win.”
RG III Gives Formula for Raiders to Surprise Teams in 2026
Moreover, Griffin notes that playing good defense, believing in Mendoza, and feeding Ashton Jeanty consistently in the run game could be the recipe the Raiders use to surprise many in the AFC West.
“They have a defense that can help them compete in their division,” Griffin added. “They just have to have belief in the quarterback and in the running back, Ashton Jeanty, that you want to give the ball to only 25 to 30 times, because he only gets better the more times he touches it.
“This is a recipe for me, in my opinion, that Kirk goes through the offseason and he’s the guy. But as soon as you get to Week 1, you’re prepping Fernando Mendoza to take this thing and run with it. I don’t think it’s throwing him to the wolves. I think he’s ready to play right now.”
Kirk Morrison Makes Feelings Clear on Las Vegas QB Situation
On April 23, former Raiders star Kirk Morrison shared his thoughts on the QB situation with Mendoza officially in the fold now.
“This is a different situation coming in with Klint Kubiak,” Morrison said during an appearance on the Raiders’ YouTube channel. “This is going to be a process, and when Fernando is ready, Fernando will go out there and play. But Kirk Cousins is going to be a guy who may start as the No. 1. They always love that they can go out there and compete. That’s what training camp is for.
“We are going to be able to grade who is ready and who’s not. All of us will be at training camp. We’ll watch Fernando go through it. They can’t hide us from practice in training camp. We’re going to see if Fernando is ready. We’re going to watch the preseason.”
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