Works behind veteran QBs in OTAs

During Wednesday's OTA practice, Mendoza worked behind Kirk Cousins and Aidan O'Connell, and mostly with rookies during competitive periods of the session, per Sam Warren of The Athletic.

The report notes that Cousins took all of the first-team reps Wednesday, and was followed by O'Connell and Mendoza, in that order. At this stage, the Raiders have yet to outline plans on when a starter will be named, with GM John Spytek having said that "the best guy will play." That said, with both Spytek and coach Klint Kubiak having previously expressing their inclination to not play a young quarterback right away, Warren as well as Ryan McFadden of ESPN suggest that Cousins is trending toward starting in Week 1, citing the veteran signal caller's ample professional experience, as well as his familiarity with Kubiak's offense. While the Raiders are intentionally easing Mendoza -- the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft -- into the mix, Kubiak has nonetheless been pleased with what he's seen from the highly-touted rookie so far. "He's as advertised," Kubiak said Wednesday. "He has not disappointed." Given where Mendoza was drafted, it's assumed that the Indiana product will rise to the top of the Raiders' depth chart eventually, but he could begin his pro career, for a time, as Cousins' understudy. That said, there's still runway for Mendoza to change the narrative on that front in the coming months, with Kubiak noting Wednesday of the team's QB pecking order, "it's gonna reveal itself, especially in training camp."