Phillip Dorsett Defends Fernando Mendoza as Kirk Cousins Looms
kirk cousins is already on the Raiders roster, but Fernando Mendoza is the quarterback drawing the loudest attention. Phillip Dorsett stepped in after a user accused Las Vegas of editing out bad throws from rookie minicamp footage.
On May 9, 2026, Dorsett responded with a line that matched the tone of the criticism: “Yeah Duhhh, Just like all the other 31 teams do with their QB”. The message backed the team’s choice to show Mendoza in a positive light while he has only been able to take part in rookie minicamps so far.
Dorsett’s X Reply
The exchange came after a user on X said the Raiders were hiding Mendoza’s interceptions and bad-looking passes. Dorsett’s reply did not try to debate the criticism point by point. He defended the practice as routine and put the burden back on the critics by pointing to how every other team handles its quarterback footage.
Mendoza has not yet been allowed to practice in front of the media, which leaves the team’s own clips as the main public window into his first days with the franchise. That makes every posted throw carry more weight than it normally would at rookie minicamp.
Raiders Rookie Plan
The Raiders drafted a first-round quarterback for the first time since 2007, so the scrutiny around Mendoza is not happening in a vacuum. He is beginning his era with Las Vegas while Kirk Cousins is already on the roster, a setup that gives the team options if it wants to ease him in rather than rush him forward.
Henry McKenna argued the Raiders need to be careful about when they play Mendoza until he is surrounded by the right talent. He wrote that one of the best imaginable outcomes would be for him to turn into Joe Burrow or Matt Ryan, two quarterbacks whose rookie seasons offer very different examples of how quickly a top pick can be pushed into action.
Burrow and Ryan
Burrow started in Week 1 after the Cincinnati Bengals took him No. 1 overall in 2020, but his season ended in Week 11 with an ACL and MCL tear. Ryan’s rookie year came in 2008, when he threw for 3,440 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, won Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the Atlanta Falcons to an 11-5 record.
McKenna said Ryan entered a better setup after going third overall, and he added that the Raiders’ own support system will shape how quickly Mendoza can be judged. The team also added center Tyler Linderbaum to improve the offensive line this season, and that blocking front will sit near the center of any decision about whether the rookie should be on the field in Week 1.
McKenna put the issue bluntly: “This is to say that the final decision should probably come down to more than Mendoza. Yes, he’ll have to be ready. But there’s more to it than that. Even if Mendoza is ready for the NFL, the Raiders might not be ready for him.”
