It has been an eventful week for the Las Vegas Raiders, with the front office hitting the jackpot on their Kirk Cousins trade and Fernando Mendoza becoming the starting quarterback. That is a seismic shift for everyone in the building, but by all accounts, the rookie signal-caller is ready for the moment.
John Spytek and Klint Kubiak both went on about how Mendoza' progress in practice was a big factor in them feeling comfortable dealing Cousins. They explained exactly how he's grown and the boxes that he has checked to make them hand over the reins and start the future a bit early.
Even Mark Davis told Raiders.com's Paul Gutierrez, "My dad used to say the greatness of the Raiders was in its future. The future is now."
But what do Mendoza's teammates think about the transition? How do they feel about the first-year pro? Let's take a look at everything that the players in Las Vegas said about the No. 1 pick ahead of his first career start against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10.
Everything Raiders players said about Fernando Mendoza before first start
"I think Fernando's going to do incredible. I love Fernando. He is a great kid. He is going to do an awesome job, I really do love the way he operates every day. He has a smile on his face all the time, he brings joy to the locker room, and I think he's going to do an amazing job."
"He's a great guy. He's vocal; he gets out there and does his thing. But when it's time to work, he dials in. He really locks in. He's a great motivator."
"I think the mental side is the biggest piece of growth, especially going from college to the NFL. Every quarterback has to deal with that. Him being able to have that time to develop and learn the system, that's been good for him."
"We're excited to see what Fernando can do. We all have trust and faith in him. We see what he's been doing all camp."
"Everyone has faith in him. Might have a bad play here and there, but he's gotta flush it. I know he does a good job with that. I know he'll do a great job."
"We've got to come together, be behind Fernando, support him, and let him know we've got confidence in him as his teammates."
"I think I've seen him grow a lot. He's gotten better each and every single day, so that's a big reason why he's getting his opportunity now to start. Just super excited to play with him and see what he goes out there and does."
"I feel [the playbook] stays the same. Obviously, Fernando can run a bit more, but I don't think the playbook changes."
"He's just making great throws, over and over. Accurate, precise, going through his reads. Giving the defense a great look week in and week out."
"We're all very excited [about Mendoza]. When the news broke, it's one of those bittersweet things. We hate to see Kirk go, but we're very excited for Fernando to get out there and get his opportunity."
"We're really good friends. I think that helps [with chemistry] ... You want to be connected. I know he can trust me, and I can trust him as well. For everyone, we've been practicing with him all year and getting reps from him, so it's not like this is Week 1 and he's been announced as the starter. He's been in the wings; he's been working. We're all very excited."
"Practice was great. I'm very excited; I'll just say that. Practice was great. It was good to see him out there in the flow. Like I said, we've been seeing it all year. He's been taking reps with us; he's been doing everything. You just see a throw, and you're like, 'Wow.' For that to be out there this Sunday is going to be fun."
"I think the good thing with him is that he's never changed his approach. It's not like he was quiet, not working, then all of a sudden he's the starting quarterback and then 'Rah rah rah.' He's been the same. I think that's what's going to help him. That's what you look for in a quarterback: Consistency. And that's what he brings. From when he first got here, you hear him break down the team thing at practice; it's the same thing as now."
"He just can do it all. He can run; he can throw. When I put it to him, I feel like there's nothing he can't do. He's super confident. I think, for him as a quarterback, and this goes back to the national championship game when he lowered his shoulder and ran through the guy for a touchdown. That shows what kind of guy we're getting."
"We've seen it every day in practice - the plays that he can make. So, we just got to go out there and instill that confidence in him to perform on Sunday."
"Nando is someone who just works extremely hard, is always in the building, always asking the right questions. He had a guy that he was behind that played in the NFL for a long time [and] had a ton of experience. Any time you get that, and obviously a great coaching staff, with someone who wants to work hard, who wants to be great, and on top of that, has great mentors with him, I think it's very important. We're excited; he's ready. We're ready."
"There was a bunch [of 'wow' moments with Mendoza in practice]. Probably a month ago, I can't remember who we were playing, but there was like three or four throws on a Thursday that I was talking with Sully in the back, Mike McCoy, too, like, 'those were incredible.' He set a certain standard, then each week, he kind of upped that standard and continued to grow. So, there were a lot of throws in practice that were very telling."
"It's dope [that Mendoza is starting]. We all know his potential and what he could do, and this Sunday, he's got the chance to show it."
"I feel like he's ready, honestly. I feel like whatever's thrown at him, he's gonna be ready."
All interviews clips courtesy of the good folks at Raider Nation Radio.
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