Kubiak Issues Mendoza Update, Is He Sending A Signal?

If you believe the recent round of rumors that have been circulating, the Las Vegas Raiders are starting to develop a plan to play rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. 

They’ve lost three straight games, so it makes sense that this sort of thing would come out, especially since coach Klint Kubiak just issued a Mendoza update, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. 

The update had Mendoza putting in extra time and doing “more than he’s asked,” according to Kubiak. The coach said he’s “very pleased” with where Mendoza’s at, and that includes extra time on the field. 

Starting quarterback Kirk Cousins added that the rookie quarterback is learning, making plays and refining, which is the same thing everyone else is doing. It’s another attempt to tamp down the “Mendoza taking over” narrative, which has been growing steadily with each Raiders’ loss.

Cousins has been playing well, so Kubiak doesn’t have to address this issue yet. The coach is probably loathe to swap out a veteran who makes smart decisions for a rookie who’s going to make mistakes, but we’re now at the point where it’s fair to wonder how long the leash is here. 

The Raiders are curently 3-3, and this is a big week. They’re playing a Los Angeles Rams team that’s coming in vulnerable after losing to the Arizona Cardinals, but none of this is linear. The Rams could easily blow out the Raiders, who were playing close games until they got blown out against the New England Patriots. 

Las Vegas is coming the end of a brutal schedule stretch, but they do get a break after the Rams game with a cross-country trip to face the New York Jets. That’s been speculated as the ideal spot for a Mendoza debut, and a win there would put the Raider back to 4-4 if they lose to the Rams, although a New York debut might not be what the Raiders have in mind for Mendoza. 

Two things will happen in the next two weeks: Speculation about the trade deadline will continue to heat up and projections about playoff possibilities will start up in earnest. A 4-4 record would put the Raiders in those conversations, which means Kubiak might want to stay with Mendoza. 

There’s a lot of juggling to do, and the outcome will affect the futures of both quarterbacks. There are also big risk/reward equations involved, which means Kubiak clearly has a lot of sorting out to do.