NFL Snubs Raiders, Fernando Mendoza With 2026 Schedule
One would think that networks would be foaming at the mouth to get reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza on national television as soon as possible for his NFL rookie season. But in a move many are calling disrespectful, that won't be the case.
The Raiders were one of several teams to get no primetime games for the 2026 NFL season. As some users on X pointed out, this is only the third time in 20 years that an NFL team that took a QB as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft did not subsequently get any primetime games.
"There have been 2 teams in the last 20 years with a #1 overall pick QB that did not have any primetime games scheduled. 2011 Panthers, 2025 Titans. Fernando Mendoza is incredibly popular, what a disaster. You truly hate the Raiders/Davis," one Raiders fan on X declared.
A missed opportunity?
Many users on X found themselves perplexed that the NFL and media partners wouldn't try to get Mendoza on national television given how incredibly popular he became at Indiana last season.
"I get the idiots from Miami, but why not put my Fernando Mendoza [sic] in primetime?" one user asked.
"No Fernando Mendoza on Primetime is (expletive) mind-boggling…" wrote another.
"No primetime games for the #Raiders in 2026 😳 It's the first time they've been shut out of primetime since 2010. I get it after a 3-14 season… but not even a Thursday night game w/ Fernando Mendoza waiting in the wings?" a third asked.
"Very surprised neither of Cam Ward or Fernando Mendoza got a token primetime game to show off a No. 1 QB."
With Cam Ward and the Titans last year it might have been seen as an acceptable move since the Titans are one of the smaller market teams and there wasn't exactly a ton of hype around him as the No. 1 overall pick. But for the league to do this two years in a row is a bit of a head-scratcher.
The only rationale is that the NFL anticipates the Raiders (much like the Titans, Dolphins, Jets and Cardinals) to be so bad that putting them in primetime risks fans simply changing the channel partway through due to a blowout.
But it's not like there aren't winnable games on the Raiders' schedule either. They Raiders play all four of those teams that didn't get primetime games. The Titans-Raiders game might have been the perfect spot to showcase the last two No. 1 overall picks in a game that could have real stakes if both of them ball out this year.
Oh well.
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 11:46 AM.