Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud reveals why Fernando Mendoza can succeed with Raiders after seeing him up close at joint practice
The Las Vegas Raiders had a joint practice with C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans on Tuesday.
The Las Vegas Raiders have made it clear they will not rush Fernando Mendoza into the starting lineup. Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud would know something about that, although the situations are different.
Stroud was drafted No. 2 overall by Houston and thrown into the fire as a rookie. He offered his assessment of the Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick. That was just after the two teams held a joint practice on Tuesday. The two teams play each other again on Thursday in the preseason.
He knows what it’s like to be a highly drafted quarterback on a team that wasn’t ready to compete. The Texans held the No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks in his draft class for a reason. They were one of the worst teams in the NFL.
Houston used those selections on Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson, and Stroud responded by making the playoffs and winning a playoff game as a rookie. He has now been to the playoffs three years in a row.
That kind of immediate success makes people wonder whether rookie quarterbacks are supposed to be thrown into the fire and prevail. The answer, more often than not, is no. Stroud’s situation was an anomaly, along with Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. Far more often, rookie quarterbacks get thrown in too early, and it damages their development.
The Raiders are taking a different approach with Mendoza
Las Vegas is making sure that won’t happen with Mendoza. The Raiders are building the roster around him before putting him in, and they are making sure Mendoza himself is ready before he takes the field as the starter. This matters because Mendoza is supposed to be the franchise quarterback who takes the Raiders back to the top of the AFC West, a place they haven’t been in roughly 20 years.
When Stroud was asked about Mendoza after their joint practice, he delivered a thoughtful answer.
“I think he’s a good player. He’ll have a lot of success in the league if he continues to be himself and put God first. And of course, what they put around him matters, and I think he has a great coach and a great play caller, so I think he’ll do well,” Stroud said.
That part about what they put around Mendoza stands out. Stroud is speaking from experience. The first few years of his career in Houston, he struggled at times because the Texans’ offensive line was really bad. So when Stroud says the pieces around a young quarterback matter, he’s not guessing. He lived it. If the Raiders continue to build around Mendoza, there’s no reason he can’t be good.
Las Vegas has already started building around its franchise quarterback
The Raiders have already taken significant steps to surround Mendoza with talent. They drafted Mike Washington, who will serve as the backup to Ashton Jeanty. The Raiders already have Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers in place. They signed center Tyler Linderbaum, drafted wide receiver Malik Benson, and made a number of changes on the defensive side of the ball.
This is still a young team, and there’s a real chance the Raiders could struggle in 2026. That’s precisely why Las Vegas doesn’t want to throw Mendoza into the fire too early. But the foundation is being laid the right way, and hearing Stroud’s kind words after watching Mendoza up close all day at joint practice only reinforces the belief that the Raiders have their franchise guy. Now they just have to make sure they put the right pieces around him.
