Patrick Mahomes backs Mendoza’s path
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes backed the Las Vegas Raiders’ approach with rookie Fernando Mendoza after Kansas City’s 30 to 27 victory in Las Vegas on October 4, 2026, dropping the Raiders to 3 and 1.
Mahomes said Mendoza can benefit from learning behind veteran Kirk Cousins, calling Cousins a true professional. Mahomes compared the arrangement with his own rookie experience learning behind Alex Smith in Kansas City during the 2017 season.
Patrick Mahomes explains Cousins’ value
Patrick Mahomes backed the Las Vegas Raiders’ approach with rookie Fernando Mendoza after Kansas City’s 30-27 victory in Las Vegas on Oct. 4, 2026, dropping the Raiders to 3-1.
Mahomes said Mendoza can benefit from learning behind veteran Kirk Cousins, calling Cousins a true professional. Mahomes compared the arrangement with his own rookie experience learning behind Alex Smith in Kansas City during the 2017 season.
Fernando Mendoza watches Chiefs loss
Mendoza did not play in Las Vegas’ 30-27 loss to Kansas City on Oct. 4. Cousins took every Raiders quarterback snap, completing 31 of 52 passes for 365 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Las Vegas led Kansas City through 3 quarters before allowing 20 points in the 4th. Cousins later found Brock Bowers for a 20-yard touchdown and completed a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit.
Raiders make Fernando Mendoza top pick
Las Vegas selected Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23. The Raiders chose the former Indiana quarterback after a college season featuring major individual and team honors.
Mendoza became Indiana’s first Heisman Trophy winner on December 13, 2025. He received 2,362 voting points and 643 first-place votes after leading the Hoosiers to a 13- 0 record before the playoff.
Fernando Mendoza finishes unbeaten
Mendoza completed Indiana’s championship season with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions across 16 games. He rushed for 7 touchdowns as the Hoosiers finished 16- 0 and won the national title.
Indiana defeated Miami 27 to 21 in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium. Mendoza earned offensive player of the game honors after scoring a decisive 12-yard touchdown run on 4th down.
Fernando Mendoza gains preseason work
The Raiders gave Mendoza preseason work before Cousins opened the regular season as the starter. Mendoza completed 25 of 45 preseason passes for 240 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions across 3 games in August.
Mendoza posted his highest preseason passer rating against Arizona on August 13. He completed 10 of 16 attempts for 97 yards and 1 touchdown, producing a 100.3 rating during the Raiders’ 27 to 14 loss.
Kirk Cousins starts first 4 games
Cousins started Las Vegas’ first 4 games while Mendoza remained the backup. The 38-year-old veteran completed 93 of 144 passes for 1,026 yards, 11 touchdowns and 4 interceptions during that stretch.
The Raiders opened 3- 0 with victories over Miami, the Los Angeles Chargers, and New Orleans before losing to Kansas City. Cousins posted a 99.5 passer rating through those first 4 games of 2026.
Fun fact: Fernando Mendoza originally committed to Yale before flipping to the University of California, Berkeley after receiving a late scholarship offer.
Patrick Mahomes followed similar path
Mahomes spent most of his 2017 rookie season learning behind veteran quarterback Alex Smith. Kansas City selected Mahomes with the 10th overall pick, but he made only 1 regular season start during his first year.
Mahomes completed 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards in his lone 2017 regular-season start. Kansas City then moved forward with Mahomes as its starter in 2018 after Smith’s final season leading the Chiefs offense.
Patrick Mahomes becomes 2018 MVP
Mahomes produced historic numbers after becoming Kansas City’s starting quarterback in 2018. He completed 383 of 580 passes for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while posting a 113.8 passer rating that season.
That performance earned Mahomes the 2018 NFL Most Valuable Player award in his first season as a full-time starter. His rapid rise followed a rookie season spent primarily learning behind Smith in Kansas City.
Patrick Mahomes brings proven résumé
Mahomes has won 3 Super Bowl championships and 2 NFL Most Valuable Player awards with Kansas City. His career followed a developmental rookie season before he became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback in his second year.
Mahomes entered the NFL from a different draft position and college background. Las Vegas used the No. 1 overall selection on Fernando Mendoza in 2026, while Kansas City traded up to select Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in 2017.
Patrick Mahomes speaks after Chiefs win
Mahomes’ comments came after Kansas City improved to 4- 0 with its victory at Allegiant Stadium. Mahomes completed 15 of 30 passes for 225 yards and threw 2 touchdowns to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.
Kansas City trailed 13 to 10 entering the 4th quarter before scoring 20 points. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns, helping the Chiefs overcome Las Vegas and remain unbeaten through Week 4.
Kirk Cousins brings veteran experience
Cousins is playing his 15th NFL season while Mendoza develops behind him in Las Vegas. Through Week 4, Cousins had accumulated 45,726 career passing yards and 309 touchdown passes across his 4 NFL teams.
Las Vegas announced Cousins’ signing on April 6, 2026, before drafting Mendoza. Cousins previously played for Washington, Minnesota, and Atlanta before starting the Raiders’ first 4 regular season games of the 2026 season.
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Fernando Mendoza gets development time
Mendoza remained on the sideline during Las Vegas’ first 4 regular-season games. Cousins started each contest, and the Raiders reached 3-1 while their rookie quarterback continued learning behind the veteran.
Mahomes emphasized the value of Mendoza learning from Cousins without predicting when the rookie would start. The arrangement gives the No. 1 overall pick time to observe an experienced quarterback during his first NFL season.
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Do you think Fernando Mendoza should keep learning behind Kirk Cousins or get his chance to start soon? Share your take in the comments and tell us what the Raiders should do.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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