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The Las Vegas Raiders are getting ready for training camp, but No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is still waiting to sign his rookie contract.
Rookies are set to report on July 23, with the Raiders holding their first practice on July 29. As of now, Mendoza is one of only six draft choices from the entire 2026 NFL Draft class who remain unsigned.
“Training camps will be opening soon. Before 2011, that meant most teams engaging in a game of beat the clock with most of their draft picks. Nowadays, most contracts are signed by Memorial Day weekend,” Mike Florio of NBC Sports Pro Football Talk reported on July 20.
Florio highlighted that the current group of unsigned players includes the first four quarterbacks selected in the draft: Mendoza, Los Angeles Rams QB Ty Simpson, Arizona Cardinals rookie Carson Beck, and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Drew Allar.
Mendoza’s contract is expected to be worth about $57.27 million over four years, including a $38.11 million signing bonus. Florio also pointed out that rookie contracts usually don’t involve much negotiating anymore.
“There’s not much to negotiate. The dollars are set by a formula based on the draft slot. Pressure points in the past have related to signing bonus cash flow, voiding of guarantees, and offsets on guarantees,” Mike Florio wrote on NBC Sports.
The delay could be tied to how that bonus will be paid. Every No. 1 overall pick since 2020 has received the signing bonus in one lump sum, while the Raiders have traditionally spread those payments across multiple installments.
Although veteran Kirk Cousins is expected to open the season as the starter, Mendoza could still see time with the first-team offense during camp as the Raiders begin preparing their quarterback of the future.
Once Mendoza’s contract is finalized, the attention will shift to how soon he sees the field.
Why is Fernando Mendoza already turning heads across the NFL?
The Las Vegas Raiders may be planning to start Kirk Cousins in Week 1, but one NFL analyst believes that could change sooner than many expected.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently built an “All-Backup Team” using players who are expected to begin the season as backups. Mendoza was the first quarterback he selected because the rookie is currently projected to sit behind Cousins.
“Mendoza isn’t expected to start in Week 1 while he sits behind veteran Kirk Cousins, which opens up the door for him to appear as our first-round pick,” Barnwell wrote on ESPN on July 20. “If Mendoza does start, it will allow us to save the first-round pick and use a Raiders spot on Cousins.”
Barnwell also included Malcolm Koonce on his All-Backup Team, projecting Maxx Crosby and newcomer Kwity Paye as Las Vegas’s starting edge rushers, according to Clutch Points.
“My suspicion is that Mendoza will be our opening day starter under center given how poised and reliable he was during an incredible 2025 season with the Hoosiers,” Barnwell added.
With training camp just days away, Mendoza’s role will be the biggest storyline to watch.
Do you think Fernando Mendoza’s contract gets finalized before training camp? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
