Last year's draft brought plenty of interesting storylines for Kansas City Chiefs fans. Not only did they have a top-10 pick for the first time in years but they also watched as the Las Vegas Raiders held the top pick in the draft. With that pick, the Raiders selected Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders had already signed Kirk Cousins in the offseason, so it was obvious that Cousins would be the starting quarterback in Sin City while Mendoza rode the bench until either he was ready or Cousins lost the job. Well, the pivot to the Mendoza era in Vegas will begin in Week 10, as the Raiders traded Cousins to the Vikings for a third-round pick.
Fernando Mendoza era begins in AFC West
This officially means that Mendoza's time as the starting quarterback of the Raiders begins in Week 10. He played sparingly this year, entering the game in Week 5 when Vegas was being blown out by the Patriots. Mendoza completed 6-of-8 passes for 48 yards in the loss.
The first-ever start of Mendoza's career won't be a picnic by any means, as he'll get to face the vaunted Seahawks defense. The very same defense that made Patrick Mahomes look as bad as he's ever looked will surely be licking their chops at facing a rookie making his first-ever start in the NFL.
The week after that, Mendoza gets to face the Broncos. Their defense hasn't been as stout this year as it was last season but that's still not going to be a fun time for the Indiana alum.
Chiefs will more than likely face Mendoza in Week 18
Kansas City didn't get to play Mendoza in the earlier matchup between the Chiefs and Raiders because Vegas was 3-0 and Cousins was playing well. Assuming Mendoza remains healthy, he'll be the starting quarterback at Arrowhead in Week 18 when the Raiders come to town.
That game could be the determining factor in a lot of playoff equations so Mendoza could have a chance to play spoiler. The Chiefs might be vying for the AFC West title still or maybe even a top-seed in the AFC. Either way, if Mendoza is healthy, he'll be the one trying to hand the Chiefs an L in their final game of the 2026 regular season.
Chiefs fans hope Mendoza doesn't pan out
Mendoza seems like a nice enough guy but, the fact of the matter is that he plays for the Raiders organization, so therefore, this fan base won't be rooting for him. If he's succeeding, that more than likely means the Raiders are succeeding as well and that's nightmare fuel for Chiefs fans.
While we shouldn't be too quick to judge Mendoza on what he does as a rookie, seeing him play poorly would be preferred over the alternative option.
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