Fernando Mendoza’s time could be imminent. The Las Vegas Raiders have not rushed the rookie quarterback into the starting lineup, with head coach Klint Kubiak instead opting to have him serve as a backup to veteran Kirk Cousins through the early weeks of the 2026 NFL season.Mendoza is currently learning the NFL from the sideline, though he has now made his regular season debutGettyAfter an emphatic start to the new campaign, where they started 3-0, and Cousins, who has made $314.4 million during his career, looked to have rolled back the years, the Raiders now find themselves on a four-game skid.Their most recent loss came in a 35-21 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, despite the 38-year-old signal caller throwing for 295 yards and two touchdowns. With the 2-5 New York Jets next up on the schedule, an argument has been made that this could be the best time to deploy Mendoza under center for his first career NFL start. Could Mendoza get his first NFL start against the Jets?talkSPORT’s Brian T. Smith and Jay Lawrence were debating this exact topic during the latest episode of the Inside the NFL podcast, with Smith of the belief that Kubiak should consider making a change at quarterback, even if only temporarily. “Mendoza was a lock at number one. He was like Caleb Williams. He was like Trevor Lawrence. Perfect in Indiana, 16-0 the dream story,” Smith said. “He was never going anywhere else besides the number one overall pick. “So, the second he signs that contract, the second he’s drafted, then if you’re a fan, if you’re in the NFL media, if you’re a GM for another team, your whole focus shifts to when will he play? “That’s all it’s about for the whole organization because that’s the green light. Then you’re taking the switch and you were flipping it and it all gets real at that point.”Smith further argued that the Raiders’ current roster construction is not good enough to realistically compete for a playoff spot, let alone for the Super Bowl, and placed some of the blame on that on “hands-on” minority owner Tom Brady. “The flip side is they’re playing the New York Jets this weekend and the Jets are an absolute train wreck …” Smith further argued. “What better scenario to you need the win, you can move to 4-4, you let Fernando Mendoza play.“He’s in New York, but he’s not playing against the Giants, he’s not playing against a good team, he’s playing against the Jets. He’ll have 10,000 empty seats there. You’re going against Geno Smith. He’s a better quarterback walking the field. The Raiders have already matched last season’s win total (3) with a .500 record to begin 2026GettyThe Raiders opted to have Mendoza sit behind veteran Kirk Cousins as he acclimatizes to the NFLGetty“Here is the problem after that. If he does not start against the Jets, I was just looking at this look at their schedule. They’re playing the Chiefs, they’re playing the Seahawks, they’re playing the Broncos. … But once he starts, you don’t take him off the field.”Of course, Mendoza has already made his NFL debut, coming onto the field for a fourth-quarter cameo in the 45-17 blowout defeat to the New England Patriots in Week 5, where he completed six of eight passes for 48 yards, earning three first-downs. Making a QB switch won’t address the concerns on offenseBut for Lawrence, benching a 15-year veteran in Cousins this early in the season for an inexperienced rookie doesn’t make much sense, especially when the Raiders rushing attack – spearheaded by former first-round pick Ashton Jeanty (106 carries for 328 rushing yards and one touchdown) has struggled to get going.“Let’s not pretend that the only issue with this team or this offense is Kirk Cousins. That’s not the case,” Lawrence argued. “I would love for something to happen in the running game. I’d love for Ashton Jeanty to be this sure-fire hit running back.“If you take Kirk Cousins out of the situation and you put Fernando Mendoza in this in the situation next week and you’ve got the same offense but with Mendoza running it, suddenly you’re not getting the wins, the fans aren’t happy with the situation, and there’s a lot of dour mood in Las Vegas later on this year.“Or you can wait maybe until the off-season. But then again, I am coming at it from knowing that they’re not going to win the Super Bowl. … But they will always be attempting to do that. …Mendoza has had his first taste of NFL action, but whether he will be given the opportunity to take center stage from the start at some point in 2026 remains to be seenGetty“My ideal situation for him is Week 14 or 15,” Lawrence continued. “He gets to play those last three or four games. It doesn’t matter. He could be bad. It doesn’t matter because the whole season is over.With a tough schedule coming up, in which they face four teams currently over .500 in their next five outings, the Week 8 clash against the Jets could be the best opportunity for the Raiders to really examine the talent they have in the Heisman Trophy winner. “Fernando Mendoza has incredible confidence, incredible self-belief. He’s got crazy LinkedIn perseverance. I like everything about him. … But he’s going to have to play at some point,” Smith further argued.“Like you either have it or you don’t. Caleb Williams played early. Drake Maye played early. Zach Wilson did too, and we saw how that that turned out.“But Fernando Mendoza, if he plays midway through the season, and he faces some adversity, and he builds up his confidence, and he starts to understand the field, and things start to slow down, then he’s ready to go week one next year. “I would put him in this week against the New York Jets.”Sign up for talkSPORT Stateside, the YouTube channel dedicated to passionate US Sports fans. Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith, former NFL star Efe Obada and a collection of special guests debate the biggest talking points across the NFL, soccer, NBA and more.