Fernando Mendoza took the reins of the Raiders offense at practice Wednesday, his first as the starting quarterback after the team traded Kirk Cousins back to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday. Owner Mark Davis watched from the sidelines as the 23-year-old, drafted first overall in April, prepared for his debut Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Mendoza, who spent nine weeks as Cousins' backup, said he is "a lot more confident" now than he was in the spring. He credited Cousins and his family for welcoming him into their household and teaching him the offense, noting it would have been easy for the veteran to be dismissive. "They've essentially taken me into their household when they were here and they welcomed me with open arms," Mendoza said.
The rookie learned of the trade in the locker room and said he had no prior inkling it was coming. He debuted in the fourth quarter of a 45-17 loss to New England last month and said he has improved in areas including operating under center, connecting with teammates and understanding the NFL scheme.
Coach Klint Kubiak described Wednesday's walk-through as going well, saying Mendoza was prepared and his daily preparation meets the standard. Kubiak noted the starter now gets significantly more practice repetitions rather than watching from behind the play. Mendoza said any decision to continue the team's post-win In-N-Out tradition would be a team call, but he would foot the bill if it continues.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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