GLENDALE, Ariz. — Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw a touchdown pass in his NFL preseason debut on Thursday, completing 10 of 16 attempts for 97 yards as the Arizona Cardinals beat the Raiders 27-14.
Mendoza, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, played four drives in his first professional game. His outing included a scoring pass and a drive that ended with a missed field goal, according to game results reported by Reuters.
The performance marked Mendoza's first game action since leading Indiana to an undefeated national championship season in 2025. The Raiders selected him first overall in April after his final college season, in which he completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. Las Vegas subsequently signed him to his rookie contract in July.
Mendoza entered the game behind veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who started for Las Vegas and led the Raiders on an opening scoring drive. Cousins is competing for the starting job, while Mendoza is among the quarterbacks being developed under first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak.
The Raiders had indicated before training camp that Mendoza would face competition in the quarterback room rather than automatically being installed as the starter. NFL.com reported in July that Cousins was opening camp as the team's quarterback No. 1, leaving the rookie to continue his development and compete for playing time.
Arizona's starting quarterback situation also affected the matchup. Cardinals rookie Carson Beck, selected in the third round, was inactive because of minor rib discomfort. Beck had already appeared in Arizona's Hall of Fame Game against Carolina, completing 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown.
The Cardinals instead relied on Jacoby Brissett and other quarterbacks in the 27-14 victory, while rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick, rushed for 58 yards.
Mendoza's preseason debut gives the Raiders an initial game sample as they evaluate their quarterback competition, but the team has not announced a change to its starting-quarterback plan. Las Vegas will continue its preseason schedule before the regular season begins.
