As the Las Vegas Raiders open training camp with rookies set to arrive Thursday, the team’s top overall draft selection, Fernando Mendoza, remains unsigned — and the sticking point is a bonus clause in his contract.
Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy, is bound by collective bargaining agreement guidelines that set his rookie deal at four years and $57.2 million, which includes a $38.11 million signing bonus. However, his representatives are pushing for that entire signing bonus to be handed over the moment he puts his signature on the contract.
Paying the full signing bonus upfront to the No. 1 overall pick has become something of an expectation in recent years. The Cincinnati Bengals set the tone when they paid quarterback Joe Burrow his complete signing bonus before he ever played a professional snap after being selected first overall in the 2020 draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars followed that model with Trevor Lawrence in 2021 and again with Travon Walker in 2022, though not without some back-and-forth first.
Raiders rookies are due in Las Vegas on Thursday, with veterans — including backup quarterback Kirk Cousins — joining the following week. Even if Mendoza eventually signs, Cousins could potentially open the regular season as the team’s starting quarterback.
Mendoza isn’t alone in his holdout. A group of rookie quarterbacks drafted this year are watching closely to see what happens with his situation. Los Angeles Rams first-round pick Ty Simpson, selected 13th overall, is among those waiting. Carson Beck, taken 65th overall by the Arizona Cardinals, and Drew Allar, chosen 76th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers, were also still without signed contracts as of Wednesday afternoon.
