The Las Vegas Raiders' steadfast desire to start veteran Kirk Cousins over No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is admirable, but they could end up burning some goodwill by continuing to keep No. 15 on ice.
With top running back Ashton Jeanty suffering an ankle injury that could keep him out for a good chunk of time, Albert Breer is now reporting that the injury could change the timeline for Mendoza's ascension to the starting lineup.
At a certain point, Raiders fans will get fed up with the excuses as to why Mendoza isn't ready to go. Eventually, and perhaps very soon, Kubiak needs to push Mendoza out of the proverbial nest, even if he isn't going to soar like an eagle the very second he takes flight.
Las Vegas' offensive situation is far from perfect, but it should be functional. Wasn't Mendoza selected No. 1 overall because they believed that he had the ability to elevate mediocre talent around him?
Las Vegas Raiders shouldn't change Fernando Mendoza's timeline for Ashton Jeanty
There's a difference between throwing a rookie into a meat grinder (think Sam Darnold with the New York Jets) and stunting his development and playing Mendoza before every part of the roster can be considered well above-average.
The Raiders may not be great in 2026, but they have enough to look like a professional offense around Mendoza with or without Jeanty. The offensive line is much better than it was last year, with Tyler Linderbaum at the center of it all.
Most rookie quarterbacks would do unspeakable things to get a player like Brock Bowers alongside them during their first campaign, and an offensive coach fresh off a Super Bowl in Klint Kubiak gives this team a fairly high floor.
Yes, Mendoza needed to show that he was more comfortable operating from an under-center offense and could make plays without perfect pockets, allowing him to see the field, as those were both concerns coming out of Indiana. But he's already doing that in the early going.
Over the last few years, many top quarterback prospects who were originally told they would spend their rookie year on the bench have wiggled into the starting lineup (hello, Baker Mayfield and Jaxson Dart) after their past starter faltered.
Kubiak's resolve will be tested if this team starts slow, as the excuse of getting the set dressing prepped for the prodigal son's arrival will get old quickly.
It seems unlikely that Cousins is going to start all 17 games this season, and the Raiders might be better off throwing Mendoza in the deep end of the metaphorical pool sooner rather than later.
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