The Las Vegas Raiders went through a seismic change at quarterback midway through the 2026 NFL season. They have cleared the way for top overall pick Fernando Mendoza to lead the offense after trading Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round pick.
Some NFL analysts are skeptical about Mendoza’s performances against the Raiders next two opponents. After all, the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos have some of the best defensive units this season.
But one NFL analyst is not worried about the situation that Mendoza will be facing.
“He is going into a good situation," said Fox analyst Danny Parkins on First Things First. "I think (Klint) Kubiak is a good coach. We’ve seen that now year over year. It’s not a bad situation that he
is walking into."
“I don’t think it’ll be a disaster… I assume that the Raiders will keep losing because their defense is bad, but Mendoza is going to look good…the rest of the year. He’s going into a good situation.”
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) November 10, 2026
@DannyParkins reacts to Fernando Mendoza stepping in as Raiders starter: pic.twitter.com/JN3cKTFWWy
Before the Raiders’ Week 10 game against the Seahawks, Mendoza has had one regular season appearance. He completed six throws out of eight attempts for 48 yards during their Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots.
Parkins knows that the situation could turn ugly for the former Indiana standout against Seattle. However, he mentioned that struggling offenses have been a recurring theme against the Seahawks this season.
With eight games left and the playoff hunt still active, Parkins believes that the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner will do good as the Raiders’ starter.
“I think Mendoza is going to be fine. It’s a huge coup for the Raiders that they can get a top 100 pick for a guy who’s not gonna be there in the future,” Parkins added.
Mendoza will now lead an offense that ranks eighth in points (26.4) and fifth in passing yards (259.7) per game.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Might Fernando Mendoza actually be in ideal situation with the Raiders?
