Fernando Mendoza demands major change from Raiders amid contract dispute per report
from QBFanCentral with Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker, and from YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Fernando Mendoza appeared to be on track to become the second quarterback from the 2026 NFL Draft class to sign his rookie contract after Carson Beck. Instead, negotiations have hit a roadblock over a key contract issue.
According to a report from Polymarket Sports on X, rookie Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders remain at odds over the structure of his signing bonus, with both sides yet to reach an agreement on how the payment will be distributed.
“Fernando Mendoza hasn’t signed his Raiders contract over a signing bonus dispute,” Polymarket Sports posted on their X. “Mendoza’s representatives want the signing bonus paid in a lump sum, while Las Vegas typically pays bonuses in installments.”
As per Over The Cap, Mendoza, the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, holds a contract value of $57.2M, the highest among all quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
Mendoza’s representative is seeking that the signing bonus be paid as a single lump sum rather than the usual approach of the Raiders to pay in installments, per Polymarket Sports on X.
According to Tyler Dragon of USA Today, the Raiders prefer not to break precedent over the approach of giving the signing bonus.
However, Mendoza’s representative is maintaining his firm stance on a single lump sum, as it has become the modern expectation for the first overalls in recent years.
Previously, Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals faced a similar issue with them at the time of his draft back in 2019.
Based on a report published by Reuters, Mendoza is set to receive a $38.11M signing bonus. Usually, the bonuses are paid in a single lump sum, but this amount is huge.
Both sides remain entrenched, leaving contract talks stalled between the rookie QB and the franchise.
Amid the contract negotiation controversy, it is expected that the Raiders might limit Mendoza’s participation in the training camp.
The QB1 question: Cousins, Mendoza, and limited first-team snaps
According to NFL analyst Mike Florio of NBC Sports, the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to minimize first-team reps for their rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza to avoid the QB1 conflict with Kirk Cousins.
Based on Florio, the Raiders might do it to avoid a revolt from the veterans on the team.
To support his statement, he highlighted the recent suggestion made by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that the Raiders “will sprinkle Mendoza in with the first team” during training camp.
“…But it does sound like the Raiders will sprinkle Mendoza in with the first team this summer,” Albert Breer wrote on SI. “…With Cousins’s extensive background in the scheme giving them more flexibility to do so—as part of the rookie’s larger development plan.”
Kirk Cousins has also spoken on the matter, and he is clear that the better player must get the QB1 job, but the question will remain the same if they are going to give Mendoza a fair chance to prove himself.