Raiders GM makes smart decision on starting QB for 2026

Raiders GM makes smart decision on starting QB for 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For most, the first overall pick in the NFL Draft will see the Las Vegas Raiders take quarterback Fernando Mendoza to be the franchise's new star quarterback.

But the Raiders are doing this a little differently than most who take a quarterback high in the draft; they aren't going to throw him to the wolves in Year 1.

We have seen young quarterbacks play early, get lit up, and play poorly, and it sets them back in their development, but the Raiders, who signed veteran Kirk Cousins in free agency, might not do that.

General manager John Spytek stated that the best guy will be playing in 2026.

“Ultimately, this is a meritocracy, and the best guy will play,” Spytek said via Sports Illustrated. “It’s just really hard to play really well at a young age, but we’ve seen plenty of quarterbacks do it recently.”

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Could Mendoza sit in Year 1?

Absolutely, he could, and it wouldn't be a bad thing either. Learning from Cousins, working out how to do all the things an NFL quarterback needs to learn with no pressure of having to learn it while Micah Parsons is trying to take your soul.

Remember, the Raiders signed Cousins for a reason.

So, while some might like the idea of Mendoza starting in Week 1, the Raiders have made it very clear that it isn't a forgone conclusion that he will be the team's starter. Only when he's ready, which is a big shift from how teams usually do it.

And in the long-term, it could be the best decision the franchise makes.

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