He was drafted as an NFL teams future. It arrives now.

When Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza was selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in April’s NFL draft, he updated his biography on LinkedIn to say that he was “focused on preparation, growth and discipline.”Emphasis on the first part.It is a quirk of the NFL that teams historically race to draft a quarterback early, then play them as little as possible for much of their first season.Teams view the position as so demanding and the pro game so fast that they want their prized picks to prepare as much as possible before inheriting the pressure of an entire franchise.

Mendoza’s time to prepare ended Tuesday, nine games into his rookie season.Now, the Raiders need him to produce.Mendoza won the Heisman after leading the Indiana Hoosiers to the 2025 national championship.Adam Hunger / GettyBefore Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, Las Vegas (4-5) traded veteran starting quarterback Kirk Cousins and elevated Mendoza to starter ahead of Sunday’s Week 10 matchup against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (5-4).

Cousins had thrown 20 touchdowns, the most by any quarterback to change teams midseason in NFL history, per NBC Sports research.After starting 3-0, the Raiders have lost five of their last six games but still have what one playoff tracker pegged this week as a 15% chance to make what would be only the franchise’s third playoff appearance since 2003.Trading Cousins and elevating Mendoza “is no way to signify that we are punting on the season or looking forward to 2027,” Raiders general manager John Spytek said.

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