With much of Raider Nation resigned to veteran Kirk Cousins opening the season as the team’s starting quarterback, first-year Las Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak is curiously hesitating to name rookie heir apparent Fernando Mendoza as the top backup.
On Sunday, 27-year-old Aidan O’Connell made the Raiders’ 53-man roster, giving the Raiders three quarterbacks entering the season – and he might not be the third stringer.
Earlier in the week, Kubiak balked at the chance to name his QB depth chart, saying all ‘three guys’ are ‘ready to play.’
‘It’s going to be some hard decisions on who’s 1, who’s 2,’ Kubiak said before deciding to keep three quarterbacks to start the year. ‘That’s not a decision we have to make today, but those are discussions that are ongoing.’
The Raiders’ decision to keep O’Connell isn’t a shock given his experience appearing in 21 games for the team over the last three seasons.
But given Mendoza’s up-and-down preseason, Kubiak’s reluctance to name the Heisman Trophy winner and top-overall draft pick as the team’s backup is noteworthy. He completed just 7 of 14 passes for 57 yards in the preseason finale while tossing an interception.
Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza warms up before an NFL preseason football game
Kubiak balked at the chance to name his depth chart, saying all ‘three guys’ are ‘ready to play
(From left) Mendoza, Aidan O’Connell and Kirk Cousins warm up on August 6 in Nevada
What’s more, Mendoza took two bad sacks in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
‘It’s the NFL, there are monsters on the other side of the ball and you need to get the ball out quick,’ Mendoza said afterwards. ‘It teaches you, you need to play on time, and there’s less margin for error. So I think it’s a great experience having that heat and duress because diamonds are built under pressure.’
Cousins took the vast majority of snaps in training camp, and his workload figures to increase as the Raiders enter the regular season.
O’Connell, meanwhile, completed just 3 of 9 passes for 32 yards, but did not surrender a sack.
Las Vegas opens its season on Sunday, September 13 against the visiting Miami Dolphins.
Mendoza won a national championship and Heisman Trophy in his lone season at Indiana before being picked first overall by the Raiders in April’s NFL Draft. The team signed Cousins earlier that month, giving the former Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons star a one-year, $11.3 million deal.
