The Las Vegas Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Although that is the case, there is a belief that Kirk Cousins, who signed with the franchise as a free agent this offseason, could be the starter to at least begin the 2026-27 campaign. All things considered, former quarterback turned analyst Matt Hasselbeck shares his prediction on when fans could expect to see Mendoza make his NFL debut.
During the latest segment of “NFL on ESPN,” Hasselbeck claims that he believes the 22-year-old quarterback could make his first career start at the midway mark of the regular season. Specifically, in Week 8, when the Raiders take on the New York Jets on the road.
“I think roughly halfway through the season when they go on the road to play the Jets,” said Hasselbeck. “[That’s] what I would be targeting. That’s Week 8… You’d get about a month to be the starter. Then have a bye week [in Week 13] to be able to kind of just evaluate things.”
.@tthasselbeck and @minakimes predict when Fernando Mendoza will make his NFL debut 🔮 pic.twitter.com/B1K303OWw8
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 18, 2026
The Raiders very well could opt to give the former Heisman Trophy winner some time to sit and learn behind Cousins to begin his career. However, that decision may determine how training camp and the preseason play out.
Mendoza played one year with the Indiana Hoosiers after playing two with the California Golden Bears. In his only season at Indiana, Mendoza not only won the Heisman, but he also led the Hoosiers to their first-ever college football national championship. He finished the campaign with 3,535 passing yards while leading the nation with 41 passing touchdowns with a 72.0% completion percentage.
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Although that is the case, there is a belief that Kirk Cousins, who signed with the franchise as a free agent this offseason, could be the starter to at least begin the 2026-27 campaign.