The Las Vegas Raiders finally have their rookie quarterback under contract. Fernando Mendoza and the Raiders agreed to his rookie deal this week, clearing the last piece of business before training camp opens.
Mendoza was the story of the offseason for the Raiders. Pete Carroll and the new front office decided the quarterback of the future was going to be the Cal transfer who lit up the ACC at Indiana. The pick was polarizing at the time. The signing is a formality.
Now the real work begins.
Mendoza is not walking into a starting job. The Raiders still have Geno Smith running the offense as the veteran starter. That is the plan for Week 1. Mendoza will hold the clipboard, learn the system and take his lumps in practice while Smith carries the load.
Do not overthink the plan. Carroll has done this before. He drafted a young quarterback in Seattle named Russell Wilson and let him take the job by force in training camp. Mendoza is not Wilson, and this is not Seattle. But the model is the same. Bring in a veteran to start, let the rookie prove he is ready, and pivot when the moment calls for it.
Mendoza’s college tape is real. He can move in the pocket, has a live arm and does not panic when things break down. His accuracy on the intermediate stuff is what stood out to Raiders evaluators. That is exactly the kind of throw the Silver and Black need in the Raiders’ offensive system.
The Raiders’ surrounding cast is the interesting part. Brock Bowers is one of the most exciting young tight ends in the league. Ashton Jeanty is coming off a monster rookie campaign at running back. The offensive line is upgraded. The receiver room is still a question, but the pieces are there for a young quarterback to develop.
Signing Mendoza also gives the team leverage in negotiations with Smith later. If the veteran stumbles or gets hurt, the Raiders are not scrambling. They already have their guy paid, on the field and ready.
The AFC West is brutal. The Chiefs are still the Chiefs. The Broncos have quietly built a solid roster. The Chargers under Jim Harbaugh will not lay down. The Raiders are the fourth team in this division on most projection lists.
But that is what makes the Mendoza pick so important. Las Vegas is not going to out-talent the Chiefs any time soon. They have to develop their own difference-makers. Bowers, Jeanty and now Mendoza are the three names this franchise is betting on to change the trajectory.
The Raiders open training camp with a real quarterback competition possible before September. Even if Smith holds the job for the first month, do not be surprised if Mendoza takes over by midseason. That is how Carroll has always operated. If you can play, you play.
For now, Mendoza is signed, in the building and ready to compete. That is a good place to start for a franchise trying to build something that lasts.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
