Fernando Mendoza's future takes a turn following Raiders' decision regarding Aidan O'Connell
The No.1 pick remains Las Vegas’ future, but Klint Kubiak has refused to guarantee him backup job
Fernando Mendoza is still the quarterback the Las Vegas Raiders hope will lead them for years. What is less certain, after an uneven preseason and one revealing comment from Klint Kubiak , is whether he's even second in line right now.
Las Vegas kept three quarterbacks on its 53-man roster, with Aidan O’Connell joining veteran starter Kirk Cousins and Mendoza .
That decision alone doesn't amount to a crisis for the No.1 overall pick, but it does suggest the Raiders aren't yet ready to clear a direct path from Cousins to their rookie.
Kubiak reinforced that uncertainty when he was asked about the depth chart.
“We have three guys that are ready to play,” Kubiak said. “And it's going to be some hard decisions on who's one, who's two, and that's not a decision that we have to make today. But those are discussions that are ongoing.”
That's hardly the kind of endorsement usually attached to a rookie selected first overall and expected to become the future of the franchise.
Cousins has handled the majority of first-team work and remains positioned to open the season as the starter. The more intriguing question is whether Mendoza has done enough to move ahead of O’Connell .
Final preseason audition failed to settle debate
His performance against the San Francisco 49ers offered both development and frustration.
Mendoza completed 7 of 14 passes for 57 yards, threw an interception and took two sacks. His struggles came largely in areas where the transition from college to the NFL can be particularly unforgiving.
“It's the NFL, there are monsters on the other side of the ball and you need to get the ball out quick,” Mendoza said afterward. “It teaches you, you need to play on time, and there's less margin for error.”
He added: “So I think it's a great experience having that heat and duress because diamonds are built under pressure.”
The Raiders can afford patience. Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in his only season at Indiana before becoming the first pick in April, but that pedigree doesn't eliminate the need for development.
His experience working under center was limited in college, and some of his preseason mistakes reflected that adjustment.
O’Connell’s place on roster matters
O’Connell ’s survival is significant because he gives Las Vegas an experienced alternative.
The 27-year-old has appeared in 21 games for the Raiders over the past three seasons, making him a safer short-term option if Cousins is unavailable and Mendoza isn't ready.
That doesn't mean Las Vegas has changed its long-term plan. Mendoza remains the franchise quarterback in waiting. The question is how quickly he gets there.
Kubiak ’s decision not to name him the clear No.2 is therefore more important than the three-quarterback roster itself.
The Raiders don't need Mendoza to start in September, but they need him to keep progressing. Right now, the message from Las Vegas isn't that he has failed, it's that he hasn't yet separated himself.
