Rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza is facing early challenges in Las Vegas Raiders practice, raising questions about his readiness to start the upcoming season. Mendoza, who was selected first overall in the April draft, has reportedly shown "growing pains," particularly with footwork when playing under center, according to ESPN's Ryan McFadden.
Mendoza, 22, had a standout collegiate career, leading the Indiana Hoosiers to their first national championship before entering the NFL as the top prospect. The Raiders, with a 3-14 record last season, had high hopes for the young quarterback to revitalize the team. However, the team is not rushing his development.
"He's had his fair share of growing pains, especially when playing under center, and mastering the footwork that comes with it," McFadden wrote. "With veteran Kirk Cousins on the roster, the Raiders don't feel like they need to rush Mendoza."
The Raiders signed veteran Kirk Cousins, recently released by the Atlanta Falcons, just weeks before drafting Mendoza. Head coach Klint Kubiak has previously expressed a preference for a rookie quarterback to learn behind an experienced player.
"You'd love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That's in a perfect world," Kubiak said in April. "It doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from day one 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."
The Raiders have been patient during Mendoza's transition, largely working him with the second and third teams during organized team activities and minicamps. Despite the on-field adjustments, Mendoza has impressed team personnel with his work ethic, leadership, and ability to find open receivers.
Mendoza is also receiving guidance from Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Brady, entering his second full year as an owner, has been offering advice to the rookie during his first NFL offseason.
"I usually like to keep the talks between Tom and me private. But I do think what he said as a quarterback is you need to be the most everything," Mendoza stated in an interview with the Raiders' official YouTube channel. "You need to be the most competitive. You need to be the most leader -- you have to have the most leadership. You need to be the toughest, mentally and physically. You've got to embody all these things and lead by example before getting the respect from your teammates, in order to lead effectively. That really resonated with me."