Patrick Mahomes Praises Raiders' Approach With Rookie QB Fernando Mendoza

Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback, drew a parallel to his early days with Alex Smith after the Raiders paired Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins. Mahomes explained that his experience with Smith gave him a full year to learn before taking over the starting role. The New York Times reported that after Kansas City's Sunday 30-27 victory over Las Vegas, Mahomes discussed the similarity between the situations.

He noted that Mendoza learning from Cousins could have a positive impact, as Cousins is "a true pro." Mahomes also joked that he hopes the arrangement won't work as well as it did for him, as he won't be there to benefit from it.