Fernando Mendoza Throws TD in Raiders Preseason Debut as Cardinals Win 27-14
Fernando Mendoza threw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut for the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night, a 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals that still gave fans their first glimpse of the No. 1 overall pick in silver and black.
Mendoza finished 10 of 16 for 97 yards, capping his night with a six-yard scoring strike to Jack Bech. His first completion as a Raider was a third-down pass to Bech that moved the chains — a small moment, but the kind that matters when a rookie quarterback is finding his footing in the NFL. He became the first top overall draft pick to throw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut since Baker Mayfield did it for Cleveland in 2018 The Guardian.
The Raiders selected Mendoza with the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23 in Pittsburgh, making him the 26th Heisman Trophy winner to go No. 1 overall. He won college football's most prestigious individual award in 2025 with 2,362 points and 643 first-place votes after a redshirt junior season at Indiana. The Raiders signed him to his rookie contract in late July Raiders.com.
The game was supposed to feature a headline reunion. Mendoza led Indiana to a 27-21 win over Carson Beck's Miami team in January's national championship game. Beck, now a Cardinals quarterback, sat out with sore ribs, scrubbing the rematch before it could happen.
Before Mendoza took the field, veteran Kirk Cousins ran the Raiders' first drive efficiently — 5 of 6 for 50 yards and a 13-yard touchdown to tight end Michael Mayer. The Raiders signed Cousins in the offseason with the idea that Mendoza would learn from him before eventually taking over the starting job AP News.
On the other sideline, Arizona's Jacoby Brissett was perfect in his brief work — all five pass attempts completed for 44 yards and a seven-yard touchdown to Marvin Harrison Jr. Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, drafted third overall, showed burst with 58 yards on 11 carries. Arizona's defense made its mark too, with defensive tackle Walter Nolen sacking Mendoza in the red zone NFL.com.
Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, working back from knee surgery in January, did not suit up. He has been participating in training camp, an encouraging sign for a defense that will need him when the games start counting.
For Raiders fans, the takeaway is simple: Mendoza looked like a quarterback who belongs. The numbers weren't flashy, but the ball came out on time, the touchdown was thrown with touch, and the rookie handled a real NFL environment without looking overwhelmed. It is one preseason series in August, not a verdict. But for a franchise that has spent years searching for a long-term answer at quarterback, Thursday night was a reasonable first step.
