Raiders insider slams benching of No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza for Kirk Cousins: "It's a complete waste..."
A Raiders insider believes Las Vegas is wasting valuable time by keeping the No. 1 overall pick on the bench.
The Las Vegas Raiders are just days away from kicking off the 2026 NFL season , but the decision to name veteran Kirk Cousins the starting quarterback continues to spark debate. The franchise opted for the veteran's experience over rookie Fernando Mendoza , the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and Heisman Trophy winner, who will begin the season on the bench.
However, not everyone believes that decision should last for long.
Raiders insider Vincent Bonsignore argued that the team cannot afford to delay Mendoza's development, especially if the season slips away from playoff contention.
“Barring the @Raiders being in legit playoff contention, Mendoza has to play this year. No reason to put off his development. It's a complete waste if Mendoza goes into next year as a mystery,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
To support his argument, Bonsignore pointed to what happened with the quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft .
“The first three quarterbacks taken in the 2024 draft, all of whom played extensively as rookies, have been to an NFC championship game, an AFC championship game, a Super Bowl and a playoff game. And multiple division championships have been won,” he wrote.
The examples speak for themselves. Caleb Williams , Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye took over as starters early in their careers and responded by leading their teams to postseason success.
In contrast, expectations surrounding the Raiders this season remain modest. Many analysts project Las Vegas to finish outside the playoff picture once again, leading some to question whether the organization should fast-track Mendoza's debut, especially considering the opening stretch of the schedule appears to be the easiest part of the season.
For now, the franchise is sticking with Cousins. The Raiders will open the regular season on September 13 at home against the Miami Dolphins , while Fernando Mendoza waits for the opportunity to prove why he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick.
