The topic of when the Las Vegas Raiders will start rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been a topic long before the team even drafted him.
Both Raiders’ head coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek have said, in an ideal world, rookie quarterbacks would be given time to be groomed before playing. Thus, it has been heavily speculated veteran addition Kirk Cousins will play to start the season.
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A big factor in when Mendoza might hit the field is how the schedule shook out. Now that it has been released, let’s look at some possible starting points for Mendoza:
Week 1, Sept. 13 Miami Dolphins, 1:25 p.m., FOX
Let it rip right out of the gate. Look, if Mendoza shows in training camp and in the preseason that he is, indeed, ready, then play him right away. Let’s face it; it’s tempting because Miami is not an overly challenging opponent, the game is at home (where there should be more Raiders’ fans than Dolphins fans), so it’s a winnable game with Mendoza or Cousins playing.
Week 3, Sept 27 at New Orleans Saints, 1:25 p.m., CBS
We get the idea of having Mendoza starting at home and New Orleans is a loud place for opponents. But this is a winnable game and if Mendoza is ready after watching to games, it’s tempting.
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Week 4, Oct. 4 Kansas City Chiefs, 1;25 p.m., CBS
Let’s get the negative part of having Mendoza start now first. The Chiefs have a tough defense and going against a Steve Spagnuolo coach-defense in a building where there will likely be a lot of loud Chiefs’ fans isn’t ideal for a first-time quarterback. But this is a home game and it starts a tough stretch. If the Raiders want to get Mendoza on the field for the majority of the season, it might as well come at the beginning of a tough stretch.
Week 8, Nov. 1 at New York Jets, 10 a.m., FOX
This a bit of a breather during a tough stretch and it gives Mendoza a chance to play ore than half the season. Yes, it’s a road game, but it’s not a terrible starting point.
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Week 12, Nov. 29 at Cleveland Browns, 10 a.m., FOX
This is after the brutal stretch that spans from Week 1-12 and right after the Raiders’ play back-to-back games against the rugged Seattle and Denver defenses. There may be lousy weather in Cleveland and its right before the bye week, this could be a winnable game to get the rookie on the field.
Week 14, Dec. 13 Los Angeles Chargers, 1:05 p.m.. CBS
This game comes right after the bye and the Raiders go into the final five-game stretch. It’s now or never for the 2026 season when it comes to playing Mendoza. Now, if Cousins is cooking at the Raiders are in the playoff mix, the rookie will likely stay on the bench. But this is the last logical staring point. But the way, I expect Mendoza to be on the field long before this point with the earlier target points being more likely.
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When do you think the time s right for Mendoza to first hit the field?
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