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Las Vegas may be Fernando Mendoza’s first NFL stop. But if he joins the Raiders as a rookie, his jersey may stay clean early if coach Klint Kubiak has his way.
Mendoza led Indiana to its first College Football Playoff national title in January and is widely projected as the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, a selection held by the Raiders.
Klint Kubiak was named the Raiders head coach in February, shortly after helping to lead the Seattle Seahawks to the franchise’s second Super Bowl title as offensive coordinator.
Kubiak believes rookie quarterbacks benefit from learning from an experienced player before seeing game action.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak speaks at an introductory news conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center on Feb. 10, 2026, in Henderson, Nev. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“Ideally, you don’t want him to start from Day 1,” Kubiak told reporters Tuesday. “You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world. It doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from Day 1, and it’s our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”
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Aidan O’Connell is the only other quarterback on the Raiders’s roster after the team traded Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett signed with the Panthers. Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson are among the veterans who remain unsigned.
The Raiders’ playoff win drought dates to the 2002 season, when the franchise won the AFC championship.
Kubiak pointed to Fernando Mendoza’s track record when asked about the quarterback.
“He’s a national champion. He’s a winner,” Kubiak said of Mendoza. “He’s quick. He’s intelligent.”
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
On defense, the Raiders still have five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby after his trade to Baltimore was voided because he failed a physical.
Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak speaks to the media ahead of the Super Bowl at the San Jose Convention Center Feb. 5, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Kubiak said he smiled when general manager John Spytek gave him the news about the nixed deal.
“We got Maxx back. Are you kidding me? That’s great. Our team just got better,” Kubiak said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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