Fernando Mendoza’s journey to becoming the starting quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders might take longer than expected.
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has not revealed who will be their starting quarterback, despite expectations leading to Kirk Cousins. Michael David Smith of NBC Sports reported that Kubiak was asked on Friday about the backup spot and said a decision hasn’t been made.
“We’ve got three guys that are ready to play,” Kubiak told Smith. “It’s going to be some hard decisions on who’s 1, who’s 2. That’s not a decision we have to make today, but those are discussions that are ongoing.”
Throughout the offseason, the expectation for Mendoza has been he will be Cousins’ backup this season, as the veteran quarterback has been mentoring the rookie since he was selected with the No.1 overall pick of the NFL Draft this past April.
But given the rookie’s early struggles in the preseason, it could suggest that veteran quarterback Aidan O’Connell could have the upper edge over him in the quarterback battle.
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O’Connell has experienced life as a starter in the NFL before and has outperformed Mendoza in the preseason.
But even with history on the veteran’s side, the present time suggests O’Connell could win the backup spot. Mostly because he hasn’t turned the ball over.
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Mendoza has completed 25 of 45 passes for 240 yards, 1 touchdown, and has thrown two interceptions during the preseason.
His first interception of the preseason came on an 80-yard interception for a touchdown against the Houston Texans. His second came during Thursday night’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Mendoza has also shown his struggles under pressure, as he’s been sacked four times, while O’Connell has only taken 1.
O’Connell has looked like the seasoned vet that he is during the preseason, as he’s completed 22 of 46 passes for 283 yards and one touchdown,
In today’s era of football, where highly touted rookies are expected to make an immediate impact, Kubiak appears to be doing the opposite, as he does not appear to be in a rush to play him.
