Pro Football Rumors
Although the Raiders spent the first overall pick in this year’s draft on former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, veteran free agent pickup Kirk Cousins is the favorite to win the starting job. As rookie head coach Klint Kubiak eases Mendoza in, he will likely “sprinkle” in some first-team reps for the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion this summer, according to Albert Breer of SI.com.
The Raiders will hold their first training camp practice on July 29, though Mendoza and the rest of their rookies are scheduled to report on July 23. That gives Mendoza just a couple more days to sign his rookie contract and join his first-year teammates on time. As things stand, he is one of just six picks from the entire 2026 class without a deal.
Mendoza’s four-year pact will check in at approximately $57.27MM, including a $38.11MM signing bonus, per the NFL’s rookie wage scale. The value is already established, but the delay in Mendoza’s case could have something to do with the signing bonus schedule. As PFR’s Rory Parks explained last month, all No. 1 overall selections since 2020 have received lump sum signing bonuses. The Raiders may prefer to buck that trend, though, having given their recent first-rounders 77.5% of their signing bonuses within 15 days of signing, 12.5% in mid-September and the last 10% in mid-October.
Whatever the cause(s) of the holdup, it will be a surprise if Mendoza goes much longer with a contract. Holdouts have become a rarity since the league implemented the rookie wage scale in 2011, and the Raiders know they need to get the potential long-term face of their franchise up to speed. While he had a highly successful three-year college career divided between Cal and Indiana, Mendoza took a mere five snaps from under center in 36 games (h/t: Kevin Patra of NFL.com). That will change under Kubiak, who did not rely much on the shotgun formation during offensive coordinator stints with the Vikings (2021), Saints (2024) and Seahawks (2025).
Kubiak was the Vikings’ QBs coach from 2019-20 before his one-year run as their O-coordinator. Cousins, then their starter, made two of his four Pro Bowls during that stretch. The connection Cousins and Kubiak formed in Minnesota is among the reasons Mendoza will probably begin his career as a backup, though it appears he will at least garner some first-team experience in the next several weeks.
