Fernando Mendoza's Raiders debut may not happen until December, ESPN's Adam Schefter suggests

Fernando Mendoza whitethorn beryllium the archetypal wide prime of the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Las Vegas Raiders don’t program connected having him nether halfway successful Week 1.

At least, that’s the anticipation of caller caput manager Klint Kubiak, who said arsenic overmuch successful March.

"You’d emotion him to beryllium capable to larn down somebody. That’s successful a cleanable world," Kubiak said astatine the clip during the NFL Scouting Combine.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected arsenic the No. 1 wide prime successful the 2026 NFL draught by the Las Vegas Raiders, attends a quality league astatine the Raiders Headquarters successful Henderson, Nev., connected April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

But erstwhile mightiness Mendoza marque his NFL debut? ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes it could travel overmuch aboriginal than fans expect, particularly fixed the brutal agelong of games midway done the season.

"I deliberation they’re going to privation Kirk Cousins to commencement the season," Schefter said connected his podcast. "And if you’re going to privation to crook to Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 wide pick, astatine immoderate constituent successful time, I don’t cognize if you’re going to privation to bash it successful November erstwhile you person to spell play 4 roadworthy games."

EX-NFL STAR CALLS FERNANDO MENDOZA 'THE MOST COMPLETE PLAYER' OF THE 2026 DRAFT

The Raiders’ November docket begins with the New York Jets connected the road, followed by a travel to San Francisco to look the 49ers. Then, it’s a location crippled astatine Allegiant Stadium, but against the reigning Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks.

Finally, the Raiders person their divisional bout with the Denver Broncos connected the roadworthy earlier heading to Cleveland to look the Browns.

"That’s not a large clip to person to spell to your rookie backmost if you haven’t gone to him by then. So, we could beryllium seeing Kirk Cousins up until astir December 1," Schefter added.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected arsenic the No. 1 wide prime successful the 2026 NFL draught by the Las Vegas Raiders, poses with Raiders wide manager John Spytek and caput manager Klint Kubiak astatine a quality league successful Henderson, Nev., connected April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

After the Browns game, the Raiders person their bye week earlier 3 consecutive location games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, respectively. They extremity the play connected the roadworthy with the Arizona Cardinals successful Week 17 and Kansas City Chiefs successful Week 18.

Mendoza, the nationalist champion and Heisman Trophy victor for the Indiana Hoosiers this past collegiate season, volition person a agleam spotlight successful Las Vegas considering his draught banal and however the franchise believes him to beryllium their backmost of the future.

But the signing of Cousins, arsenic good arsenic Kubiak’s statement, points to determination not needfully being an unfastened backmost contention to statesman grooming campy this summer.

Las Vegas Raiders backmost Fernando Mendoza runs done a drill during a rookie minicamp astatine Intermountain Health Performance Center successful Henderson, Nev., connected May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Of course, that could change. But Kubiak is hoping his perfect world, wherever Cousins starts and Mendoza learns and develops down a tested seasoned quarterback, is the absorption present for the Raiders.

Time volition surely archer erstwhile Mendoza takes implicit nether center, but possibly Schefter is connected to thing erstwhile looking astatine the docket and trying to pinpoint erstwhile that NFL debut volition travel for him.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.