It’s clear that the Raiders were by far the worst team last season, finishing with only three wins. That includes their Week 1 victory over the AFC champions, the New England Patriots, which now seems like a mere illusion. At no point during the season were they competitive, and Pete Carroll’s project simply failed.

The Raiders began the season with high hopes after General Manager John Spytek handed the reins of the franchise to an experienced head coach like Pete Carroll. However, Carroll couldn’t get the job done, even after bringing in Geno Smith, someone he trusted. The quarterback ended up leading the NFL in interceptions, with 16, tied with Tua Tagovailoa.

After just one season, the Raiders quickly decided to fire Pete Carroll and hire Klint Kubiak as the new head coach. Kubiak had a successful stint as offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks, where he won Super Bowl LX with Sam Darnold, who threw for over 4,000 passing yards that year.

Fernando Mendoza will not participate in the Combine

This week, the NFL Combine will take place, where the best NCAA prospects are evaluated before the draft, scheduled for the last week of April. The big news is that Fernando Mendoza, projected to be the first overall pick by the Raiders, will not throw at the Combine, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN:

“Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will not throw at the combine this week, per source. He will throw at Indiana’s pro day on April 1st, when the school has multiple pass catchers that Mendoza wants to help showcase,” Schefter said.

So, we won’t see Mendoza’s passes until Indiana’s Pro Day on April 1. Remember, the Indiana Hoosiers quarterback had a standout 2025 season, surprising everyone by throwing 41 touchdown passes and surpassing 3,500 passing yards, establishing himself as the top quarterback prospect in his class.

Although Klint Kubiak, the Raiders’ head coach, has not publicly committed to selecting Mendoza, it’s clear he will. Quarterback is the Raiders’ most urgent need, and they are expected to start by drafting the Indiana Hoosiers’ star, who comes in as a national champion and Heisman Trophy winner.

Mendoza as the cornerstone of a long-term project

Fernando Mendoza will be the cornerstone of the Raiders’ new project. Of course, it will be a process – fans naturally want immediate results, but Mendoza is entering a very tough division: the AFC West. This includes the top-seeded Denver Broncos, division favorites Los Angeles Chargers for 2026, and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs, who aim to rebound next season.