# Cuban-American Quarterback Fernando Mendoza Makes NFL Preseason Debut for the Raiders

**Date:** 08/15/2026

Fernando Mendoza, the Cuban-American quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, made his professional preseason debut for the Las Vegas Raiders on August 13, 2026, completing 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in a 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana University to its first national championship appearance in program history before entering the draft, entered the game in relief of veteran starter Kirk Cousins and led the offense for four series, including a six-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jack Bech. His performance produced a passer rating of 100.3, though he also absorbed what commentators described as his "welcome to the NFL" sack.

"Wow, you guys are a little faster than I thought," Mendoza said after the game, reflecting on the jump in pace from college football. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak called the rookie "an ascending player" who still needs game experience, while noting that the starting job remains Cousins' to lose for now.

Mendoza was born in Boston and raised in Miami, the son of Cuban-American parents whose own parents emigrated from Havana. His father, a pediatrician in Miami, and his mother, a former University of Miami tennis player who has lived with multiple sclerosis for more than two decades, have been central to his story; the family has raised more than $125,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Mendoza has often spoken about his Cuban heritage and Miami roots as sources of motivation in his rise to the NFL's top overall pick.