Raiders’ schedule release video gives Fernando Mendoza perfect Star Wars-themed nickname

There were so many things to like about the Las Vegas Raiders’ schedule release video on Thursday night, but our favorite thing from it is the Star Wars-themed nickname it gave quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders went with a spoof of the classic comedy movie “Step Brothers” that starred Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.

Mendoza and fellow quarterback Kirk Cousins played the roles of Reilly’s and Ferrell’s characters and even re-enacted one of the film’s most iconic scenes.

While all that was going on, Mendoza called himself “The Nandalorian,” which is a reference to the hit Star Wars show, “The Mandalorian.”

Here’s the exchange in the video that led to Mendoza’s perfect nickname:

Cousins: I’m Kirk.

Mendoza: I’m Fernando.

Cousins: You’re gonna have to call me “Kirko Chains.”

Mendoza: Cool. You’re gonna have to call me “The Nandalorian.”

We can only hope this nickname actually sticks past just the schedule release video, because it’s awesome, even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan.

It was also cool to see that Mendoza and Cousins have such a friendly relationship, even though they will be competing for a starting job in 2026.

Will Fernando Mendoza start this season?

It remains to be seen if Fernando Mendoza will be starting in Week 1.

We know there will be a quarterback competition between Cousins and Mendoza, and we know Cousins has the advantage there because of his experience.

However, Cousins has also shown significant decline in recent years, so it’s certainly not crazy to think Mendoza can beat him out.

While the expectation for a No. 1 overall pick is always to start right away, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has made it clear in the past he doesn’t prefer that method with a rookie signal-caller, so that could be the approach with Mendoza.