Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive future of the Las Vegas Raiders, could potentially challenge for the starting quarterback position sooner than expected if he demonstrates strong performance early in his career, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
During an appearance on the NFL Insiders show, Rapoport stated that if Mendoza "hits the ground running so fast, and so well," the team might be compelled to start him, even if game one is not the target. "Might not be game one, but it could be earlier in the season, and if that is the case, for the Raiders, that also is excellent news," Rapoport said. He added that while it could create an "awkward" situation in the quarterback room, it would signify that the number one pick is performing as hoped. Mendoza was selected by the Raiders as the first overall pick in the previous NFL Draft. The initial expectation was that he would serve as a backup to veteran Kirk Cousins, with Cousins acting as a mentor.
Mendoza is coming off a highly successful collegiate career at Indiana University. In his historic senior season, he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to their first College Football National Championship. During that season, he threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns against just 6 interceptions, completing 72% of his passes. The trend in the NFL has seen rookie quarterbacks more frequently taking the field early in their careers, diverging from a past where top picks might spend an entire season as a backup. Baker Mayfield, selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2018, is an example of a high draft pick who took over as a starter early in his rookie year after an injury to the incumbent quarterback and maintained the role. Mendoza's potential rapid ascent to starter would align with the team's investment in him as the top prospect. Rapoport believes that such a scenario, where the rookie proves himself capable of leading the team, would be a positive outcome for the Raiders organization.