The Fernando Mendoza era for the Las Vegas Raiders is just starting, and the franchise is getting a lot more interest than they typically do. Everybody is eager to see what the No. 1 pick can do.
So far, Mendoza has only been able to participate in rookie minicamps, but the Raiders haven’t been shy about posting highlights. However, for some reason, there are people who think the team should be posting his bad plays, too.
One user on X called out the Raiders for editing out bad throws.
“Let me guess they will edit out all the interceptions and all the bad looking passes Fernando Mendoza makes from here until the pre-season starts,” the user wrote.
It’s strange for somebody to expect a team to post videos that make their quarterback look bad. Raiders wide receiver Phillip Dorsett defended Mendoza and called out the take.
“Yeah Duhhh, Just like all the other 31 teams do with their QB,” Dorsett wrote in response on X.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a team that is showing off their new star quarterback throwing interceptions in practice. Now, once the media is allowed to watch him practice, then any potential struggles will be documented. Until then, the Raiders are going to do what they can to make Mendoza look good, unsurprisingly.
Raiders Urged to Be Cautious With Mendoza
Mendoza still has a lot to prove, but he should be the future of the Raiders. He’s the first quarterback they’ve used a first-round pick on since 2007, so the expectations are very high.
However, the Raiders can’t rush him on the field. The team already has Kirk Cousins on the roster. He’ll be able to keep the ship afloat for a season if need be. Even if Mendoza is the better quarterback, Henry McKenna of Fox Sports thinks the Raiders need to be cautious about playing him until he’s surrounded with the right talent.
“One of the best imaginable outcomes for Mendoza would be that he could turn into Joe Burrow or Matt Ryan,” McKenna wrote. “In the case of Burrow, drafted No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, he started in Week 1 and played well. But he took too many hits, including the one that prematurely ended his season in Week 11 with an ACL and MCL tear. As for Ryan, he was solid as a rookie in 2008, with 3,440 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the Atlanta Falcons to an 11-5 record. Ryan, however, went third overall — and, in turn, had a better supporting cast.
“This is to say that the final decision should probably come down to more than Mendoza. Yes, he’ll have to be ready. But there’s more to it than that. Even if Mendoza is ready for the NFL, the Raiders might not be ready for him.”
Will Be Difficult to Keep Mendoza Off the Field
Right now, it sounds logical to keep Mendoza on the bench for a while, but that’ll be a lot more difficult to justify as the season gets closer. If he looks better than Cousins in training camp, people are going to want him to play.
Luckily, the Raiders’ offensive line should be better this season with the addition of center Tyler Linderbaum. As long as the pass blocking isn’t atrocious like it was last year, Mendoza deserves a fair shot to start in Week 1.
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