Many expect Fernando Mendoza to become the team's future quarterback, but debate continues over how long he should remain behind Kirk Cousins before taking over the offense.

During the Locked on Raiders podcast, analyst Dave Barto criticized the idea of making Mendoza wait for an extended period with host Qiant Myers.

"If he doesn't get into the game, then I think maybe the question is why did we take him number one…He has taken more snaps than just about anybody in college football the last four years…," Barto said on Monday. “I don't buy this whole let him sit and learn crap. If he's good enough to be one of one, make him play."

For Barto, an overall No. 1 pick quarterback sitting on the bench in his rookie season, is cause for criticism if Kirk Cousins is going to have the QB1 role next year.

Barto pointed to a group of 36 quarterbacks selected in the top 16 picks since 2012. According to his research, those players averaged 13 starts during their rookie seasons. He suggested Mendoza could become the starter as early as the fourth game of the season if the Las Vegas Raiders follow that trend.

“In his draft class, his peer group from those 13 starts averaged 2,871 yards… If you look at the top 10 quarterbacks drafted in the last 13 years, their average is 3,791 yards.” Barto continued in the Locked on Raiders podcast. “So, for you to bet over 3,500 yards for Mendoza and hit at plus 275, he is averaging nearly a top-10 total yards passing for quarterbacks"

Barto's point was simple: expecting Mendoza to cross 3,500 passing yards would mean projecting him far beyond the production level of most quarterbacks with similar experience.

In fact, according to his comparison, Mendoza would need to put up numbers much closer to recent top-10 NFL Draft quarterback prospects rather than the average first-year starter.

The Heisman winner from last season has recorded over 8,247 yards and an average passer rating of 156.2 over his three seasons in college.

According to Sportsnaut, opinions range from Week 3 to as late as December for Mendoza's first start, while Raiders coaches have stressed patience.

That growing conversation now brings attention to another important issue related to Mendoza's future in Las Vegas.

Fernando Mendoza’s contract situation takes center stage

The rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza's path to the field could depend on more than just the team's depth chart.

"The streamlining of negotiations under the rookie wage scale has significantly accelerated the signing process," Joel Corry of CBS Sports wrote. "The primary negotiating issue, particularly at the top of the draft, is the payment schedule for the signing bonus."

Mendoza's projected rookie deal is worth more than $57 million over four years, with a signing bonus exceeding $38 million.

The Raiders want to pay the signing bonus in stages, the same way they used for Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, and Tyree Wilson.

Those players received 77.5% within 15 days of signing, 12.5% in September, and the final 10% in October.

This means that Mendoza may not receive a large first installment if history is any indicator.

How do you think Mendoza will make his impact on the contract as well as the benching situation surrounding him? Let us know!

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Written by

Shreya Mishra

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote