Yahoo Sports NFL on Fernando Mendoza
From the article
Fernando Mendoza's NFL career is set to begin in earnest on Sunday, with his first game as the starting quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders.
STACKED’s take
Mendoza makes first NFL start Sunday after Kirk Cousins mentorship.
The 23-year-old first overall pick from the 2026 NFL Draft is set to make his first NFL start as the Las Vegas Raiders' starting quarterback on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Mendoza credited Kirk Cousins' mentorship over several months for preparing him for this moment, noting that Cousins taught him film study, how to operate as a starting quarterback, and multi-faceted approaches to success. Mendoza acknowledged that while mental reps on the sidelines during games and coaching from quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan and backup Aidan O'Connell were crucial, there is no substitute for real game experience and game reps, as the best vision comes from being in the pocket rather than on the sideline.
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