Fernando Mendoza got a big reality check early in his career. The Las Vegas Raiders have no primetime games, despite seeing a lot of hype with the No. 1 pick in their fold. Mendoza is the reason why the Raiders are even a talking point this year. But according to the mind behind the schedule, having the most famous rookie on the roster was not enough.

“These teams have every opportunity to play themselves in the bigger windows,” NFL VP of broadcasting, Mike North, told ESPN. “We always say you play your way into the prime time. You don’t draft your way into the prime time, you don’t fire your coach into the prime time.”

Fernando Mendoza comes to a team that was among the worst in the league last year. Scratch that; Mendoza comes to a team that has historically been among the worst in the league. In the past decade, the Raiders have been able to go past 10 wins only twice. The team has, unfortunately, played itself out of prime time. This is the first season since 2010 that the Raiders haven’t had a prime-time slot.

The team hasn’t done much since then, but they were surprisingly still getting those games. In 2024, Las Vegas got two primetime games, despite having posted a respectable 8-9 finish the year before. But even after going an embarrassing 4-13 in 2024, the Raiders somehow earned three night games. After finishing 3-14, the NFL thought it was simply better to pull the plug, regardless of Las Vegas getting the No. 1 pick.

Fernando Mendoza has the potential to turn things around at Las Vegas. But what or who else makes the case for the Raiders to get a prime-time slot? Moreover, Mendoza might not even get to play in those night games because he’s a rookie. Since Las Vegas’ pitch falls flat after this, it’s understandable why the NFL took this decision.

“As far as the Raiders go, I mean, nobody knows if or when Mendoza might play,” North said. “It would certainly be great if we knew. We don’t. But they went out and signed a very competent veteran quarterback, and if they find themselves, you know, hovering around .500 and playoff-relevant in the middle of the season, they might be a little more reluctant to pull the trigger and move to the rookie.”

They also have precedent here. Las Vegas (then Oakland) had the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft as well and picked former quarterback JaMarcus Russell. The Raiders still did not get a primetime slot. Russell ended up being a bust for the Raiders, and his career ended after only three seasons.

But that doesn’t mean the Raiders can’t work their way into the prime time slots in the 2026 season. If they prove that they are as relevant as advertised, they might get their chance. 

“If the Raiders have a better than we thought, unexpected season, that’s what flexible scheduling is for down the stretch,” the NFL insider continued. “There’s last five-six weeks of the season. If they’re having a good year, it’s probably because Denver or the Chargers are not. And so, if they’re relevant, we’ll find a way to get their games on national television down the stretch, so that when they are playing in January, that’s not the first time our fans are gonna see a Raiders game.”

However, it’s still going to hurt for fans who were keen on seeing Mendoza do what he does best in these special games.

Raiders columnist defends Fernando Mendoza and the Raiders 

“The Raiders not appearing in ANY Primetime games this coming season for the first time since 2010 (barring any flexing), let alone being skipped over for an international game for the seventh straight season (the longest such streak in the NFL), is nasty work,”  Raiders columnist Paul Gutierrez wrote, slamming the 2026 schedule. “And no holiday games? Insulting. Disrespectful, even.” 

Mendoza’s value on the roster and the value of the Raiders’ schedule are in stark contrast to each other. But there are also so many other things to look forward to about the team, particularly this season. The Raiders’ schedule is the seventh-toughest in the league, and they also have a new head coach in Klint Kubiak. His combination with Cousins and Mendoza is a storyline worth covering. 

After all, Kubiak’s success with these two is how the Raiders plan to find their way back to glory.

The path is crystal clear for the silver and black. If they want the respect of the national broadcasters, they have to string together victories early in the season. They have to play their way into the conversation. After all, winning changes everything.