Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek wouldn't say too much when asked about Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at the 2026 NFL scouting combine. What he did say about putting building blocks around young quarterbacks, however, may stir up some concern within Raider Nation:
"I think you want to limit the amount of pressure you have on that guy from the start," Spytek said. "Now, if you have a young quarterback, I'm not necessarily in favor of running him out there right away, either."
Tom Brady, who sat behind a veteran to begin his career, has been vocal about not throwing rookie quarterbacks into the fire unless they're ready. Spytek, Brady and Klint Kubiak are said to be in lock-step about the big decisions in Las Vegas, so perhaps this is the way things are trending.
But would the Raiders actually draft Mendoza and not play him right away? When looking at the league's recent history and taking everything else that Spytek said into account, maybe fans shouldn't necessarily buy what he's selling. Or maybe they shouldn't care about an immediate ROI.
John Spytek won't commit to Fernando Mendoza playing right away, but Raiders fans shouldn't panic
If one looks at some of the best quarterbacks in recent memory, like Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, all of them waited their turn. None played immediately in their careers. Of course, none of them were the No. 1 overall pick, so it's a bit different.
When looking at the quarterbacks selected with the top pick in the last 30 years (since 1996), 16 of them have either started right away or been quickly thrust into the lineup. Only five have sat in the wings and waited for their turn. The results for each group are mixed.
For the immediate starters, players range from Peyton Manning and Matthew Stafford down to Sam Bradford and David Carr. When looking at those who sat and learned, careers range from Eli Manning and Carson Palmer to Alex Smith and JaMarcus Russell.
All of this is to say that each team should decide what they feel is the best course of action for their young quarterback. Yes, each of the six quarterbacks taken atop the board since 2019 has started right away. But historical precedent says to follow any path a team deems best for his development.
Now, let's get more into what Spytek said during his media availability. To him, it seems like the crux of this dilemma is about surrounding a young quarterback, presumably Mendoza, with the right tools to have success and not stunt his growth. What are those tools?
"Another quality player that can play the quarterback position," Spytek said."Obviously, a great offensive line, a run game, all the things that can limit his chances to, really, get killed. And a great defense, too, because if he doesn't feel like he's got to go out there and score 35 points every week, I think that's helpful."
Let's ask ourselves this question, Raider Nation: Does Las Vegas have any of those things? Do they have another quality player who can play the quarterback position? Not really. Maybe Aidan O'Connell. Do they have a great offensive line or run game? No way. A great defense? By no measure.
The Raiders certainly have the resources at their disposal to add those pieces to the puzzle, and ideally, their coaching staff is full of great teachers who can bring out the best in those on the roster. But to assume that Las Vegas will make all the requisite jumps in one offseason is incredibly bold.
Spytek has also been ominous when answering questions about the No. 1 overall pick, as he refuses to commit to taking Mendoza or even staying there, even if New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey spoiled the surprise a bit. Spytek clarified the internal battle of need vs. best player.
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"I learned a long time ago if you start forcing needs, you're going to end up picking guys too early and then regret it," Spytek said. "When it lines up, and you've got a need, and it's the best guy, it's awesome. It really is. ... But we're never just going to say, 'We got this need and so we're just going to force a player.' It's the wrong way to do it. It's not team building. This is a process."
Again, none of this precludes the Raiders from taking Mendoza or starting him right away. In fact, despite all of this, I'd bank on Mendoza starting in Week 1 for Las Vegas in 2026, or at least very shortly after. But Spytek doubled down on his sentiment in a later media scrum.
"I think you've got to support (rookie quarterbacks) in many different ways. To think that you're just going to take a young quarterback anywhere and just start week one and it's going to go great is naive, and you're not doing that kid any favors at all," Spytek said. "More organizations failed those kids than those kids failed the organizations. Whoever we got at the quarterback spot, it takes the whole building to support them because they have such a hard job. And we've got to be patient with young players."
It is hard to argue with that analysis from Spytek. Unless both Mendoza and the team are ready to go Week 1, an argument certainly exists for keeping that young player out of the line of fire and letting him take the path of a Brady, Rodgers, Jackson, Allen or Mahomes. You know he won't be Russell.
And Mendoza wouldn't be alone in learning the ropes. He'd have an offense-minded head coach in Klint Kubiak, a former quarterbacks coach at offensive coordinator in Andrew Janocko, and a veteran coaching quarterbacks in Mike McCoy. Oh, and Brady, who Spytek discussed:
"He's the best ever to do it. Whoever the quarterback is that's playing for the Raiders has a unique opportunity to learn from the best," Spytek said. "Tom's got a lot of humility to him, and just because he did it a certain way, he doesn't have expectations that you do it all that way, too. But there are some things that he's uncompromising on. Whoever the quarterback is for the Raiders, I think Tom is a great resource for them."
Without counting our chickens before they hatch, let's operate under the assumption that Mendoza will be the pick. As the No. 1 overall selection, it is incredibly likely that he'll start right away. The last such pick to sit at all during his rookie year was Baker Mayfield back in 2018.
But between everything that Spytek said, where the Raiders currently are, and history indicating that it may not be such a bad idea, would sitting Mendoza, even if it is just for a little bit, be the end of the world? Drake Maye sat quite a bit in his rookie campaign, and he played in a Super Bowl in Year 2.
I don't buy that Mendoza is going to sit, even if Spytek is selling it. At least not right now. But I also don't think it's the worst course of action for a Raiders team desperately trying to protect its investment, build the right way, and finally make sure they got it right at quarterback.