
Pederson urges Raiders to start Mendoza Week 1 to fast-track his development
The Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall and signed veteran Kirk Cousins, prompting a debate about whether Mendoza should start immediately. Doug Pederson advocates for a Week 1 rollout to accelerate Mendoza’s development, pointing to past cases like Wentz and Josh Allen, while Tom Brady has argued rookies should be kept on the bench. Historically, rookie QBs face growing pains and mixed results when starting early, and the Raiders appear to favor developing Mendoza behind Cousins this season with the goal of long-term readiness.













