Even though the Las Vegas Raiders' roster is chock full of new faces acquired through free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, practically all eyes are still on rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is vying to dethrone Kirk Cousins from the starting quarterback post at training camp.
And although the Raiders' leadership has been quite clear that it will be a meritocracy in Las Vegas, they have also been clear that Cousins will get the first crack at things, and it is effectively his job to lose. So, with a great staff and vets around him, Mendoza needs to lock in on learning and stack days.
The first day of training camp practices took place on Wednesday morning at Raiders HQ, and a good portion of the fanbase was probably holding their breath to see how Mendoza would fare. And by all accounts, he took a big step, hopefully, the first of many this preseason.
Fernando Mendoza shows improvement on first day of Raiders training camp
Not much news broke out of training camp in Las Vegas on Wednesday, but the few nuggets that fans got all revolved around one thing: Mendoza's growth. It should also be noted that Mendoza took reps with the second-team offense on Wednesday, a change from his running with the 3s in the spring.
Levi Edwards of Raiders.com was the first to voice that Mendoza stepped up to the challenge, stating that the rookie quarterback had "good command over the offense," and "showcased some mobility." That is a welcome development after moving up with the second-stringers.
ESPN's Ryan McFadden also noted that Mendoza had good command, and he even included that the rookie "looked a lot more comfortable under center." Of course, his lack of experience under center was a knock on Mendoza during the pre-draft process, but that is already being ironed out, it seems.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Sam Gordon referred to Mendoza's outing on Wednesday as "sharp," and The Athletic's Sam Warren stated that the young quarterback "looked precise in his accuracy and commanded offense." It sounds like everyone saw the same thing from the young signal-caller.
Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko also spoke to the media after practice, and he had great things to say about Mendoza when asked about where he's seen the rookie grow.
"Obviously, just the command of the offense," Janocko said. "Him being able to articulate things how he sees it. [He] sees it in real time. Takes it from the meeting room and on the board, in the film, [and] brings it out here and be able to see the picture and tie his footwork to that."
If a rookie quarterback is going to grow in one area, that's the one that matters most. If Mendoza can take command of the offense and can grasp the concepts and apply them on the field, then that is a tremendous sign this early in the process.
Nobody is anointing Mendoza as the starter or advocating for him to get first-team reps tomorrow, but this was a great first step to take on the opening day of training camp. He's a rookie, and he'll take his tumbles, but the hope is for more days like this than not for the Raiders' franchise quarterback.
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