The Las Vegas Raiders appear to have a sound plan in place to develop No. 1 overall rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. All indications are that veteran Kirk Cousins will be the Week 1 starter. If all goes well, Mendoza can spend his entire rookie campaign developing behind the scenes.

It’s arguably a lost art in today’s league, one that Tom Brady has previously mentioned as a smart strategy. Plenty of “bust” quarterbacks in recent memory were relied on to play too quickly, when they would have benefited from being hidden from the initial spotlight. Zach Wilson and Anthony Richardson immediately come to mind.

Advertisement

The biggest challenge for the Raiders could be their willingness to stick to that plan if they start losing regular-season games. As Mike Tyson once said, ‘everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.’ Public pressure to insert Mendoza into the lineup could mount if the Raiders aren’t postseason contenders with Cousins.

Cousins is a starting-caliber veteran quarterback who possesses a terrific relationship with head coach Klint Kubiak. It’s worth noting the Raiders were a 3-14 football team last season, and the general masses don’t expect them to be legitimate postseason contenders in a tough AFC West division.

If the Raiders begin the campaign in unimpressive fashion, public cries for Mendoza, who recently signed his rookie contract, will get louder. That’s really when the Raiders’ resolve to stick to their long-term plan for Mendoza would be tested. Raiders leadership should prepare for all scenarios.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Will the Raiders stick to the Fernando Mendoza plan if they’re losing?