Legendary agent Leigh Steinberg, who had eight No.1 overall draft picks as clients in his illustrious career, said he would tell Mendoza to look at the success of other star quarterbacks who sat on the bench to begin their careers."All competitive athletes want to play, but I would point out to Mendoza that Patrick Mahomes sat for a whole year behind Alex Smith in Kansas City.
And when he came out his second year, he was MVP," Steinberg told OutKick in a recent interview."Aaron Rodgers had a similar route.
That Philip Rivers had a similar route."CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGELas Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks to throw against the Houston Texans during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Thursday, Aug.20, 2026, in Houston.
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)Mahomes played just one game his rookie season, the final game of the regular season, before taking over as the full-time starter in 2018 and winning the MVP.The Kansas City Chiefs star sat behind Alex Smith before setting the world on fire by throwing for more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.Aaron Rodgers’ Hall of Fame career began on the bench for three seasons as he sat behind Brett Favre.
Those three years proved fruitful as Rodgers has won the MVP four times, becoming a 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.With the then-San Diego Chargers, Rivers sat behind Drew Brees for two seasons before taking over as the starting quarterback in his third year, making the Pro Bowl for the first of eight times in his career.The Raiders hope Mendoza’s career trajectory is similar to those of Mahomes, Rodgers and Rivers.Steinberg stressed the importance of letting Mendoza develop both behind the scenes and on the field.THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE.
DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws a pass during a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., on Aug.1...