The Raiders had reportedly been preparing to make Mendoza their starter within the next few weeks. If Las Vegas had lost to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and then the Denver Broncos on November 22, Mendoza was expected to start against the Cleveland Browns on November 29. The team had kept its plans under wraps, with the transition tied to the Raiders falling out of playoff contention. Las Vegas had lost four of its previous five games after opening the season 3–0.
## Raiders Back Mendoza’s Readiness
Head coach Klint Kubiak said Mendoza can run the full playbook and has earned the confidence of his teammates.
“His teammates know how prepared he is,” Kubiak said. “It’s not just lip service, but he has shown it on the practice field.”
Mendoza’s first start will come against an improving Seattle Seahawks team. General manager John Spytek said the rookie had worked hard for the opportunity since joining the team and had impressed the organization with his development as a person, teammate, leader, and quarterback.
“He passed every test,” Spytek said. “I want to stop short of saying he’s earned it, but he put us in a position where we had to make a really hard decision today with his growth as a person, as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback.”
