As much as he might come back to regret it, Patrick Mahomes likes what the Las Vegas Raiders are doing with Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza. And the three-time Super Bowl champion should know, he went through the exact same learning process with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It’s going to do a lot of great things for [Mendoza]. [Cousins] is a true pro. He knows how to run the team and everything the right way. It’ll be great for Fernando to learn and just take in. Hopefully not too much,” Mahomes admitted during his postgame press conference. “Because it went really well for me and Alex [Smith], hopefully not that much [for Mendoza, Cousins, and the Raiders] unless I’m gone or something like that.”
Mahomes came into the league as the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft but didn’t start right away. Instead, Andy Reid and the Chiefs sat him for virtually his entire rookie year (Mahomes only played one game) and had Alex Smith teach him the ropes in Kansas City.
The move paid off right away, and Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns in only his second year in the league. Whatever the antonym to a sophomore slump is, Mahomes enjoyed that in 2018. The rest is history.
Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza.
Chiefs are off to red-hot start and Raiders, too
In 2026, Mahomes and company are off to chase more records and silverware. As it stands, the Chiefs are one of three teams to start the 2026 NFL season 4-0, along with the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.
So far, the Raiders have copied the Chiefs’ blueprint and they have a lot to show for it, as Cousins is playing some of the best football of his career, while Mendoza hasn’t seen the field yet but is taking it all in. In the long run, taking his rookie year to be an apprentice rather than being tossed into the fire of a storied franchise with high expectations and a loud fanbase appears to be the best option.
If you don’t believe it, ask Mahomes and the Chiefs. They have three rings, five Super Bowl appearances, and are far from done. That should answer any questions.
The Raiders mimic the Chiefs
They say if you can’t beat your enemy, join them. The Raiders won’t ever come close to joining forces with their foes in Missouri, but they are taking a page out of their playbook and might change the course of the franchise’s history by doing so.
As for Mahomes and the Chiefs, it makes sense why they aren’t upset at other teams mirroring their blueprint. At the end of the day, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
When will Kansas City and Las Vegas play again?
The first matchup between the Chiefs and Raiders in 2026 didn’t disappoint. The two won’t meet again until Week 18 at Arrowhead. If both can maintain their current form until then, it might be a matchup for the AFC West title, and perhaps even more.
If the Raiders run out of gas, however, and Cousins loses his touch, it might set the stage for the first of many Mahomes vs. Mendoza showdowns in the NFL. Either way, fans across the league will be pleased with the outcome.
Key takeaways
- Patrick Mahomes praised the Raiders’ approach with Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza.
- Kansas City is off to a 4–0 start in the 2026 season.
- The division rivals will meet again in Week 18 at Arrowhead Stadium.
