Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has publicly advocated for the Las Vegas Raiders to give rookie Fernando Mendoza significant playing time. Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion, emphasized that young quarterbacks only develop by experiencing live game situations. "You gotta throw Fernando in there," Manning said, adding that players "don't learn the things you need to learn" without actual game reps. The comments come as the Raiders evaluate their quarterback depth chart heading into the latter part of the 2026 NFL season.
Eli Manning Urges Raiders to Play Rookie Fernando Mendoza
