Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza will begin his professional career on the bench, a situation legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg suggests is a valuable learning opportunity. Steinberg, who has represented numerous top draft picks, advised Mendoza to look at the career trajectories of quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, who also started their careers by sitting behind veteran players.

"All competitive athletes want to play, but I would point out to Mendoza that Patrick Mahomes sat for a whole year behind Alex Smith in Kansas City. And when he came out his second year, he was MVP," Steinberg told OutKick in a recent interview. "Aaron Rodgers had a similar route. That Philip Rivers had a similar route."

Mahomes played only one game in his rookie season before becoming the full-time starter in 2018 and subsequently winning MVP honors. He sat behind Alex Smith for his first year, ultimately throwing for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in his breakout second season. Rodgers' Hall of Fame career began with him sitting behind Brett Favre for three seasons. He has since won four MVP awards, earned 10 Pro Bowl selections, and secured a Super Bowl championship.

Philip Rivers also spent two seasons as a backup to Drew Brees with the then-San Diego Chargers before taking over as the starting quarterback in his third year, leading to eight Pro Bowl selections.

Steinberg emphasized the importance of player development, noting that while Mendoza has been drafted, his progression is crucial. "The key is now they've drafted the talent, but how you develop the talent, how you bring Mendoza along because it's his rookie year. He'll throw interceptions, he won't throw again, he'll have problems in play calling, the game's much faster, the degree of separation is thinner," he explained. "Mendoza can greatly benefit from watching the game outside. And it's not like the Raiders have the strongest offensive line in the league. What you don't want to do is kill the young player's confidence or the confidence of the team in him."

Mendoza will be behind veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowl selection with 14 years of NFL experience. Steinberg indicated that Cousins appears to be a supportive mentor.

While the strategy of letting a rookie quarterback develop from the sidelines is theoretically sound, Steinberg acknowledged that players often have an intense desire to compete. "I wouldn't be unhappy at all except for the fact that players want to play. So you're I can have this philosophy. I guarantee you Mendoza doesn't have this that he desperately wants to play," Steinberg said. "You wouldn't want him as a player if he didn't have that that intense desire to play."

Raiders General Manager John Spytek recently commented on Mendoza's readiness, stating, "He’s a tireless worker. He loves football. He loves his teammates. He’s energetic on the field. He’s self-critical. He’s self-aware. He’s very accurate. His time is coming, but he’s got to earn it every day, and he knows that. I think we’re all very pleased with the person and his work ethic and his commitment to being a great quarterback."

Spytek added that Mendoza has demonstrated the qualities the team identified during the draft process.