Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza isn’t afraid to admit where he currently stands on the totem pole
The Las Vegas Raiders have three quarterbacks who are playing very well at OTAs and Mandatory Minicamp.
There’s a quarterback “battle” underway within the Las Vegas Raiders. But, not really, if that makes sense. The Raiders are saying the best man will play. However, it’s Kirk Cousins job to lose, and rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza is just trying to get a feel for the NFL.
And the Raiders are doing this the right way. Sure, Mendoza was the Heisman Trophy winner, the National Champion, and the No. 1 overall pick. But that doesn’t mean anything when you get to the NFL. It helps set up expectations and helps get you drafted where you’re drafted. But it doesn’t mean you’re immediately the starter in a better football league against much better players. He’s working for it, so much so that the Raiders pretty much have him at the bottom right now at Mandatory Minicamp.
Fernando Mendoza seems to be QB3 heading into Mandatory Minicamp
“Expectations are all in the future tense, and if I just focus on the present tense, I know that I will be able to get there one day in the future. But worrying about the future is not going to do me any good right now,” Mendoza told reporters on Tuesday.
“So I’m just trying to work every single day, and right now I’m repping with the threes and a little bit with the twos. So, right now I’m just trying to prove myself and do the best in whatever rep I get, and treat every single rep like it is a Super Bowl.”
That doesn’t mean Mendoza will be QB3 when the season starts. The Raiders may dress it up that way, just because Aidan O’Connell has been great this offseason. That, and O’Connell has that starter experience. But Mendoza is the franchise guy, and everyone knows it.
If Cousins were to go down with an injury in the middle of the season, or anytime after that, you better believe Mendoza will be the starter.