Alex Smith · cogm.ai

Fernando Mendoza

QB · LV

Kirk Cousins

QB · LV

+3 players

general

Raiders are expected to 'sprinkle' first-team reps for quarterback Fernando Mendoza

Pro Football TalkJul 22, 2026, 9:53 PM+31 stories · 30dSource ↗

Fernando Mendoza Kirk Cousins Brock Bowers

The quarterback competition in Las Vegas won’t be a competition if it never becomes one. If it’s a truly open competition, the first overall pick in the draft presumably should be able to beat a 37-year-old veteran who had no clear starting opportunities elsewhere in the league. With all due respect to Kirk Cousins (who has been a very good quarterback and an even better businessman), the first overall pick in any draft should be able to win a full and fair competition with Cousins at this point in his career. (Unless the first overall pick isn’t a quarterback.) One way to keep the veterans on the team from revolting when it comes to the decision to not use Mendoza would be to minimize Mendoza’s chances to show that he’s the better option. Which may explain the recent suggestion from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that the Raiders “ will sprinkle Mendoza in with the first team ” during training camp. Of course, if Mendoza makes the most out of the sprinkling, the flow could increase. If a limited apples-to-apples comparison makes it clear to the established players on the team (starting with defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers) that Mendoza could be the Johnny Appleseed for a forest of playoff appearances, the mood could shift, quickly. The balance for the Raiders, if they’re committed to keeping Mendoza in the garage for a year, will be to get him practice reps without making it clear that he should get more. And more. And more. The Chiefs pulled it off nine years ago with Patrick Mahomes because they were a perennial playoff team under Alex Smith. The Raiders have been to the playoffs twice since the 2002 season. The players on the team will want the guy who gives them the best chance not to win later, but to win now. Cousins has said the better player should play. As camp prepares to open, the question is whether Mendoza will get much of a chance to prove it — and whether he does enough with the “sprinkling” he gets to force the issue to the front burner

Kirk Cousins

QB · LV

Fernando Mendoza

QB · LV

+2 players

general

Do the Raiders have a true quarterback competition?

Yahoo Sports NFLJul 17, 2026, 4:28 PM+9 stories · 30dSource ↗

Kirk Cousins Fernando Mendoza Patrick Mahomes

Despite plenty of struggles since last winning the Super Bowl more than four years before Kirk Cousins was born, the Raiders have earned the first overall pick in the draft only twice: in 2007 and in 2026. How did it go the last time? Not too good . JaMarcus Russell didn't start right away. It probably wouldn't have mattered if he had. After 25 starts in three seasons, it was over for him. Now, Fernando Mendoza enters the fray with the hope of becoming the first true year-to-year franchise quarterback the Raiders have had since Kenny Stabler. And the options for Week 1 are Mendoza and Cousins. In late March, new coach Klint Kubiak made it clear that he'd prefer to have Mendoza " watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team." But Cousins has acknowledged that the decision should be driven by merit. "I honestly don’t want to start unless I’m the best option, and I told Klint that,” Cousins said in early April. “ The best player should play . As long as that’s the case, I have no qualms about however it plays out." So how will it play out? Kubiak talked up Cousins during the offseason program, which could be another clue as to Kubiak's preference. But training camp is a different beast. When practice begins, and when both quarterbacks are getting chances to do what they do, the players will have a chance to witness their performances. To compare and to contrast them. And, ultimately, to develop an impression as to which guy provides the better option to win games. If it's Mendoza, it won't be easy to bench him for Cousins. The other players (starting with Maxx Crosby ) will want to win. If the players think Mendoza puts them in a better position to do that, they won't be thrilled with a long-term plan to get more out of Mendoza later by having him do less now. The Chiefs pulled that off with Patrick Mahomes nine years ago because the Chiefs were a perennial playoff team under Alex Smith . The Raiders are a perennial also-ran, running behind the other teams in the AFC West. If the locker room thinks Mendoza is, to use Cousins's term, "the best player," the locker room won't be thrilled with the idea of keeping Fernando parked in the garage like a Ferrari, opting instead to tool around in a Fiat. And if the 37-year-old Cousins, who had no immediate market for his services as a clear-cut QB1 elsewhere, outperforms Mendoza, what does that say about the Raiders' decision to make Mendoza the first overall pick in the draft? The days of the five-year plan in the NFL ended closer to five decades than five years ago. Life in the NFL happens one season at a time. Veteran players don't want a year in which players less than the best available at all positions aren't playing. Put simply, the Raiders haven't been good enough to put the better player on the bench. If that's Mendoza, he needs to play. If it's not Mendoza, maybe they should have picked a better player when they returned to the JaMarcus Russell spot for the first time in 19 years

Kirk Cousins

QB · LV

Fernando Mendoza

QB · LV

+2 players

general

Do the Raiders have a true quarterback competition?

Pro Football TalkJul 17, 2026, 4:28 PM+9 stories · 30dSource ↗

Kirk Cousins Fernando Mendoza Patrick Mahomes

Despite plenty of struggles since last winning the Super Bowl more than four years before Kirk Cousins was born, the Raiders have earned the first overall pick in the draft only twice: in 2007 and in 2026. How did it go the last time? Not too good . JaMarcus Russell didn’t start right away. It probably wouldn’t have mattered if he had. After 25 starts in three seasons, it was over for him. Now, Fernando Mendoza enters the fray with the hope of becoming the first true year-to-year franchise quarterback the Raiders have had since Kenny Stabler. And the options for Week 1 are Mendoza and Cousins. In late March, new coach Klint Kubiak made it clear that he’d prefer to have Mendoza “ watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team.” But Cousins has acknowledged that the decision should be driven by merit. “I honestly don’t want to start unless I’m the best option, and I told Klint that,” Cousins said in early April. “ The best player should play . As long as that’s the case, I have no qualms about however it plays out.” So how will it play out? Kubiak talked up Cousins during the offseason program, which could be another clue as to Kubiak’s preference. But training camp is a different beast. When practice begins, and when both quarterbacks are getting chances to do what they do, the players will have a chance to witness their performances. To compare and to contrast them. And, ultimately, to develop an impression as to which guy provides the better option to win games. If it’s Mendoza, it won’t be easy to bench him for Cousins. The other players (starting with Maxx Crosby) will want to win. If the players think Mendoza puts them in a better position to do that, they won’t be thrilled with a long-term plan to get more out of Mendoza later by having him do less now. The Chiefs pulled that off with Patrick Mahomes nine years ago because the Chiefs were a perennial playoff team under Alex Smith. The Raiders are a perennial also-ran, running behind the other teams in the AFC West. If the locker room thinks Mendoza is, to use Cousins’s term, “the best player,” the locker room won’t be thrilled with the idea of keeping Fernando parked in the garage like a Ferrari, opting instead to tool around in a Fiat. And if the 37-year-old Cousins, who had no immediate market for his services as a clear-cut QB1 elsewhere, outperforms Mendoza, what does that say about the Raiders’ decision to make Mendoza the first overall pick in the draft? The days of the five-year plan in the NFL ended closer to five decades than five years ago. Life in the NFL happens one season at a time. Veteran players don’t want a year in which players less than the best available at all positions aren’t playing. Put simply, the Raiders haven’t been good enough to put the better player on the bench. If that’s Mendoza, he needs to play. If it’s not Mendoza, maybe they should have picked a better player when they returned to the JaMarcus Russell spot for the first time in 19 years

Fernando Mendoza

QB · LV

Kirk Cousins

QB · LV

+11 players

general

Super Bowl-winning head coach explains why Raiders should start Fernando Mendoza immediately

CBS Sports NFLJul 13, 2026, 10:45 PM+31 stories · 30dSource ↗

Fernando Mendoza Kirk Cousins Patrick Mahomes

The Las Vegas Raiders used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on whom they hope will be the future of the franchise in quarterback Fernando Mendoza . The Indiana signal-caller cemented himself as a college football legend, as he led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and College Football Championship while picking up the Heisman Trophy along the way. Only three other players have ever won the Heisman Trophy and were selected No. 1 overall: Cam Newton , Jameis Winston and Joe Burrow . All three players were immediately thrown into the starting lineup for their respective teams, but that will not be the case for Mendoza. The Raiders went out and signed veteran Kirk Cousins to start the season, and mentor the young Mendoza. Some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL did not start right away. Patrick Mahomes sat almost his entire rookie season while learning behind Alex Smith , Aaron Rodgers sat for three years behind Brett Favre, and Jordan Love behind Rodgers for two seasons. Even the great Tom Brady sat for over a full year backing up Drew Bledsoe. So, what is the best course of action? Former Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, who coached Philly to its Super Bowl LII victory against Brady's New England Patriots in 2017, believes that Mendoza should start right away. Pederson faced this same dilemma in 2016, when his Eagles drafted Carson Wentz No. 2 overall. It appeared Wentz was going to sit behind Sam Bradford as a rookie, but the Eagles changed course and shipped Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings prior to the start of the regular season. That opened the door for Wentz to play immediately. As Pederson explains it, he truly believed Wentz was going to be his franchise quarterback, and he wanted to get the growing pains out of the way early. He believes the Raiders should do this with Mendoza. "Let's get this guy out there Week 1, let's start having our growing pains Week 1," Pederson said. "Let's not prolong it into October or November or later in the season. Let's get him out there now. Let's get him working with the guys that he's going to be working with. Making the calls at the offensive line, getting Ashton Jeanty the ball. I think Klint Kubiak's system is going to allow for that, with the play-action pass, the run game, all these things that helped Seattle win a championship last year. But let's get Fernando on the field. I think it's very beneficial..." Pederson said Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott called him in 2018 to ask for advice on how to handle his new quarterback, Josh Allen . Pederson told him if McDermott was completely sold on Allen being the future of the franchise, he should play right away. "I think you put him on the field Day 1." Doug Pederson thinks the Raiders should start Fernando Mendoza at QB Week 1. pic.twitter.com/dfjB8Emd9e Wentz went 7-9 for the Eagles as a rookie, and then started his second season 11-2 before tearing his ACL. Wentz looked like an MVP candidate during that 2017 campaign prior to his injury with 33 passing touchdowns in 13 games. He clearly built confidence after playing a full year in the NFL. If there's one former player you should listen to when it comes to handling quarterbacks, it's Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion is a proponent of sitting and developing young quarterbacks. He lamented the state of the quarterback in today's NFL during a 2024 interview. "I didn't start my first year. I think it's just a tragedy that we're forcing these rookies to play early," Brady said. "But the reality is, the only reason why they are is because we've dumbed the game down which has allowed them to play. It used to be thought of at a higher level..." . @TomBrady on the tragedy that is being forced on rookie QBs in today’s NFL pic.twitter.com/IReSLdYL1R Since 2020, we've seen 11 rookie quarterbacks start immediately, and every single one of them had growing pains. Even the great Burrow, [... truncated ...]

Brock Purdy

QB · SF

Alex Smith

+3 players

general

Alex Smith gives brutally honest answer about Brock Purdy

Yahoo Sports NFLJun 7, 2026, 4:12 AM+10 stories · 30dSource ↗

Brock Purdy Alex Smith Trey Lance

Since Brock Purdy was drafted with the 262nd pick of the NFL Draft by the 49ers in 2022, he has gone from Mr. Irrelevant to relevant . On Saturday morning, former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith was a guest on the Krueg Show, hosted by Larry Krueger. When Smith was asked about what makes Purdy stand out as a quarterback, he was quick to answer. “So prepared, and I think had such great perspective on the game, right? Like this is a guy that could already process and compartmentalize,” Smith said. “I think, naturally, he’s a super mature kid. Like anyone that has been around Brock, I’m blown away when I would talk to him for the first time I’m like ‘Are you 35 or 40?’ he just seems so much older, he has such great perspective on things.” Unlike Purdy, Smith was crowned as Mr. Relevant after he was selected first overall by the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft. Smith played 14 years in the NFL, seven of them with the 49ers, including in 2011 when the 49ers went to the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens . Smith shared snaps at quarterback that year with Colin Kaepernick and would eventually sit on the bench as Kaepernick would become the starting quarterback. Similar to Kaepernick, Purdy found himself as San Francisco ’s starting quarterback during his rookie year after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo went down with injuries. In his first season, Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles . Purdy was unable to finish the game after exiting early due to an elbow injury, following a sack by defensive end Haason Reddick . California Post News : Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X , YouTube , WhatsApp , LinkedIn California Post Sports Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube , X California Post Opinion California Post Newsletters : Sign up here! California Post App : Download here! Home delivery : Sign up here! Page Six Hollywood : Sign up here! In his second season, Purdy had a Pro Bowl season, throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl loss against the Kansas City Chiefs . “This is what I don’t think people realize: this guy pushes the ball downfield. When you look at the down the field from the quarterback as far as attempts, completions, accuracy, I mean this guy leads the league in the NFL every year in every one of those categories,” Smith said. “This is the guy that battles the game manager thing. Like he’s just a product of the system. It just couldn’t be further from the truth.” Purdy threw for over 3,000 yards the next year, but didn’t match his usual production last season, throwing for 2,167 yards and 20 touchdowns. But even in a down year, that was also filled with injuries in the 49ers locker room, Purdy led the team to a playoff victory over the Eagles and would eventually be eliminated by the Seahawks in the divisional round

Kyler Murray

QB · MIN

Patrick Mahomes

QB · KC

+1 players

general

Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Are The Vikings In A Good Place With Their QBs?

Yahoo Sports NFLJun 3, 2026, 6:52 PM+12 stories · 30dSource ↗

Kyler Murray Patrick Mahomes Alex Smith

OTAs are underway with the second one being completed yesterday June 2nd. The next one is Thursday, June 4th. All the buzz now is about the QB “competition”. Almost every article out there is discussing it in some way. Mainly it seems like praise for Murray and a lot of criticism for JJ. It seems to be over the top IMHO. I do not expect it to let up either. I will say that I do not feel bad for him though. The young man is getting 21M gtd for the first four years of his career. All of this nonsense now comes with those very nice paychecks. He will get through it just fine. The Vikings have actually put themselves into a very good place with the QB position. If JJ wins the job and is playing well half way through the season, the team could trade Murray if there is another team that really needs a QB which happens more often than not. What could they get in return? A 3rd round pick? Some will laugh at that but the team acquiring Murray would only have to pay him 650K for 9 games of work and if he signs elsewhere in 2027, they could be in line for a 3rd round compensatory pick. I would say the worst case would be a 4th. If Murray is starting then the Vikings will groom JJ more. He will be able to try to tear up the first string defense in practices like Mahomes did his first year. After the team saw that, they decided it was time and moved on from Alex Smith . JJ’s journey would be far from over. The new GM might decide to move JJ if the right offer came along. Conversely, they could simply keep JJ and see what happens next offseason. Yes, the team is in a good spot and I think the outcome is going to surprise many no matter who starts at QB. BUt that wont stop the nimrods from pontificating about the Vikings QB situation. It is far from over. To be honest, I am loving every minute of it! Yore disclaimer about links which sadly is needed. I do not write these and they are what pops up when I google “Vikings news”. I usually post most of the links and unfortunately for some of the more sensitive fans, there are a lot of stories about the QB situation with many different writers not giving flowers to JJ. Vikings Receive Candid QB Battle Take From Insider Albert Breer https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/candid-qb-battle-kyler-murray-jj-mccarthy/ “The interesting thing about it is that the roster needs to win now,” Breer said about the Vikings QB battle during a June 1 appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show.” “So no one’s on scholarship anymore. His draft status doesn’t matter. Whoever is the best player for us to win right now is who Kevin O’Connell is going to pick. “That’s going to be Kevin O’Connell’s mindset in picking his quarterback now. So it’s different than it was last year. They’re not worried about the first-round investment in the player anymore. In fact, the GM who drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall is now gone, and there’s a new GM coming in.” Moreover, Breer explained why it’s important for the Vikings to go with the best player in this battle, given the current state of their roster. “I don’t know that the Vikings quarterback situation lines up with the timeline of the rest of the roster, right? The rest of the roster, and you can go down the list of names, has tons of guys either in the prime or the back end of the prime of their careers, right? “So, guys like Byron Murphy and Andrew Van Ginkel , and obviously offensively you’ve got Justin Jefferson . Jordan Addison is close to the end of his deal. T.J. Hockenson is now an older player. Christian Darrisaw at left tackle. They’re invested in a ton of guys that are win-now players.” NFL Insider Hints J.J. McCarthy Wants Out of Minnesota https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/top_news/jj-mccarthy-vikings-trade-hint Vikings Take Strong Position on JJ McCarthy Trade Amid Rumors of QB’s Unrest https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/jj-mccarthy-trade-rumors-kyler-murray-qb-competition/ Alec Lewis of The Athletic reported on Tuesday, January 2 t [... truncated ...]

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