When the Las Vegas Raiders do what's expected and take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, it will come with an easy expectation that he'll be the starter from Day 1.
Of course, at the NFL Combine, John Spytek and Klint Kubiak would not guarantee that at all. And with only Aidan O'Connell left on the depth chart behind Mendoza, if/when he's the selection, adding a capable veteran is absolutely on the table as Kirk Cousins' name has elevated above others.
That veteran bridge signal-caller may only end up starting a few games next season, at the very most, before Mendoza inevitably takes over. But he can also be a valuable mentor for the rookie, regardless of how things shake out.
Being aligned with where the organization is on the playoff contender scale and being willing to take a backseat to Mendoza whenever the time comes will be prerequisites for the veteran quarterback that the Raiders end up signing.
Those prerequisites will also naturally eliminate some options. Like Aaron Rodgers, who, for some reason, was recently pitched as an option in Las Vegas.
Raiders offered as break-glass option for QB they're surely not even thinking about
Jason La Canfora of Sports Boom recently took a look at the situation of Rodgers, a notable available veteran quarterback, who appears to be in a holding pattern right now with very few realistic options to start available to him.
"He either goes back to Pittsburgh,” said an exec from one NFL team who has been looking at potential backup quarterbacks. “Or maybe he tries to get something done with Tom Brady (in Las Vegas), or he hangs it up. He wants to be a starter. It’s down to those two teams… and that’s if the Raiders really (like/want) him. It’s Pittsburgh or nothing, how I see it.”
"He" ism of course, Rodgers. If Rodgers wants to continue playing, a return to the Pittsburgh Steelers and a reunion with former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is really his only option. A starting job is not available anywhere else for him, barring something unforeseen.
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But the problem is that Rodgers is not going to sign anywhere to be a backup or a mentor to a young quarterback in what will likely be his final season. The team executive that La Canfora quoted even seems to know that "it's Pittsburgh or nothing" for Rodgers.
Naming the Raiders as essentially a "break glass in case of emergency" fallback team for the future Hall of Famer is a level of interesting, but it loses all its juice when a full analysis of the circumstances for both sides follows.
If Rodgers ends up on the Raiders' radar as a bridge to or veteran mentor for Mendoza, that means things have gone unbelievably awry for him and the team. Not to mention, he'd probably retire if things somehow don't come together with the Steelers. So let's not even worry about it.
What a wild idea, though.