Las Vegas Raiders legend Marcus Allen shares a candid take on the future of rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Allen doesn’t know what the Raiders plan to do at quarterback. Honestly, neither does anyone outside the building. That’s not a knock on Allen but rather, it’s kind of the point.
The Raiders have a real decision ahead of them: Kirk Cousins, the steady veteran, or Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick who spent last season lighting up Indiana’s offense, throwing 32 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Both options have merit but neither is a shortcut.
What Allen offered this month as he spoke to the NFL Network wasn’t inside information. It was perspective, the kind that comes from watching decades of teams make this exact call, often badly. He said he doesn’t mind young players sitting, watching and learning first, a stance that sounds almost old-fashioned in a league obsessed with instant returns on top picks.
“The pressure and expectation of being the No. 1 pick, along with the amount of money guys are being paid, means we often throw players out there when they may not be ready or may not have the personnel around them to really facilitate an opportunity to be successful.”
That instinct deserves more credit than it usually gets. Rookie quarterbacks rarely fail because they lack talent. They fail because organizations hand them the offense before the roster, the scheme or the locker room is actually ready to support them. Allen’s broader point, that the pressure tied to draft position and contract size pushes teams to play guys before they’re ready, is really just an argument for patience over hype.
Related: Should the Raiders pursue Justin Jefferson right now?
Whether Mendoza sits or starts right away, his toughest test might not come from a defense at all. It’s the room. Getting 30-something veterans to follow a 21-year-old takes more than arm talent. Maxx Crosby’s advice to him was simple enough: stay real, because grown men with families and different life paths will see through anything fake pretty quickly.
That’s not exactly groundbreaking coaching wisdom. It’s just true, and it applies whether Mendoza plays Week 1 or gets his shot in October.
The Raiders don’t need to figure this out by August. They need to trust John Spytek and Klint Kubiak to read their own locker room correctly, something Allen says he believes they’ll do well.
“It all depends on management and what they want to do; I have faith in [Spytek]. I think he’s going to do a great job.”
If that trust holds up, the quarterback decision stops being about hype and starts being about readiness. Which is exactly how it should work.
*Top Photo: Getty Images