The Las Vegas Raiders wrapped up their 3rd and final preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers with an 18-12 loss. And there is only one name who is under the spotlight for his poor performance that Raider Nation will be most anxious about. Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 draft pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, looked bleak under the lights, exposing some major flaws. Meanwhile, veteran QB Kirk Cousins looked calm and composed. That rocky performance has sparked conversations questioning whether the former Indiana Hoosiers QB is ready to step into the NFL.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner has massive expectations on his shoulders, as Raider Nation would hope he turns out to be the Franchise QB who pulls them out of their disappointing regular-season record of 7–27 in the last 2 seasons combined. The Nightcap trio recently picked up this discussion on whether Mendoza will, and if so, when he should start for the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. When former 4x First-Team All-Pro RB Shannon Sharpe posed this question to the panel, 2x First-Team All-Pro Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson had a straightforward yet harsh answer.
“You sit him for the entire season. He’s not ready. Sit him for the entire season. Rookie quarterback, what’s one way to rattle a rookie quarterback? What do you do? You send what at him? Pressure (Shannon Sharpe answered),” Chad Johnson said of the Fernando Mendoza situation currently with the Raiders on the Nightcap. “You know, there are questions when it comes to the offensive line; there are also questions with the supporting cast that they have over there in Las Vegas. The supporting cast isn’t that good. Do not throw that young man out there to the wolves too early.
“No, continue to build around him. Allow Kirk Cousins to take the helm. Allow him to lead the way, allow him to steer the ship this season, and continue to build around Fernando Mendoza. And I’m sure Tom Brady’s voice will be heard, and he will probably say the same thing because he’s the one who’s talked about developing the quarterbacks and putting them out there too early, knowing they’re not ready.”
The rookie QB completed only 7 of his 14 passes for 57 yards across 5 possessions against the 49ers. He took 2 sacks for a total loss of 14 yards and averaged just 4.07 yards per pass attempt.
The toughest moment came on his second snap, when a high play-action pass sailed over WR Jalen Nailor and got intercepted by 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune. That interception mirrored a previous pick-six against Houston Texans linebacker Wade Woodaz in the Raiders’ 2nd preseason game.
Such costly mistakes won’t bode well once the regular season starts. It proves that Mendoza is still adjusting to how quickly NFL defenders close down throwing lanes. What’s interesting is that Fernando Mendoza was mindful of this change in level after the game.
“It’s the NFL; there are monsters on the other side of the ball, and you need to get the ball out quick. It teaches you, you need to play on time, and there’s less margin for error. So I think it’s a great experience having that heat and duress because diamonds are built under pressure,” Fernando Mendoza told the reporters after the game.
Head coach Klint Kubiak did not hold back when assessing Mendoza’s performance post-match. He admitted that the rookie QB “needs another three preseason games” before he can start performing at the speed that is required in a regular-season NFL game.
Las Vegas signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a two-year deal with $20 million guaranteed exactly for this scenario. Since he has played under Kubiak’s offensive schemes previously during their time together at the Minnesota Vikings, he knows the new Vegas HC’s playbook by now.
Cousins started the game vs the 49ers and operated with poise under center. In over 2 possessions, Kirk Cousins completed 8-of-11 passes for 51 yards (72.7% completion rate) without throwing a single pick or taking a sack. He threw for back-to-back scoring drives that ended with Matt Gay field goals to give Las Vegas an early 6-0 lead.
Shannon Sharpe likened Mendoza to Patrick Mahomes in this scenario, stating that the former Indiana QB might barely play in his rookie year like Mahomes, and unlike Peyton Manning, who came into the league as a 4-year SEC starting QB and started for the Indianapolis Colts immediately after being drafted. Whether Fernando Mendoza starts or not, he would hope he can leave a legacy in the NFL like the two names Shannon Sharpe compared him with.