Former NFL WR makes bold prediction for Fernando Mendoza's rookie year

The quarterback room will look a lot different for the Las Vegas Raiders next year. Geno Smith is out, along with head coach Pete Carroll, and new head coach Klint Kubiak has overhauled the quarterback room with the additions of veteran star Kirk Cousins and 2025 Heisman Trophy Winner Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders selected Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, and it has been widely assumed that the franchise will hand the starting role directly to the rookie, with Cousins joining the franchise to serve more as a locker room and sideline mentor. But former NFL wideout Nate Burleson, who spent 11 years in the league, doesn't see Mendoza earning the job quite so easily.

"I think Kirk's going to have to fumble that opportunity away. He's not going to beat out Kirk Cousins right now," Burleson told Sports Illustrated. "Kirk is still a veteran quarterback, and if you look at the money they paid him, he's going there to play quarterback. You know what I mean? You don't pay a guy that much just to teach the young buck how to throw the ball."

But Burleson isn't all sour when it comes to Mendoza. He does think that the rising signal caller is the rookie with the biggest chance to make an early impact – even if he doesn't think Cousins will take the backup job quietly.

"I've met him, so it's a little bit different," he said. "It's easy to say, oh, the number one draft pick. But his focus and the way he looks at the game is a lot different than any other young guy that I met."

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Former NFL WR makes bold prediction for Fernando Mendoza's rookie year