Tom Brady Built The Fernando Mendoza Plan. Mike Florio Just Torched It. | Raiders Camp Update

The Las Vegas Raiders put the pads on for the first time at 2026 training camp — and Fernando Mendoza was still taking reps with the second team.

Mike Florio spent the weekend saying the Raiders are "deliberately choosing the lesser guy" by starting Kirk Cousins, and warned it would cost them the locker room. Albert Breer was standing on that same practice field and wrote that Cousins is clearly the best guy at running Klint Kubiak's offense. Two respected voices, one practice, opposite conclusions.

And the man who actually built this plan isn't the head coach. It's a minority owner named Tom Brady.

Gully works through both sides, then makes the case that everyone is arguing about the wrong thing — because what's broken for Mendoza in this camp isn't arm talent. Plus Maxx Crosby was dominant on Day 1 in pads, seven months off a meniscus repair.

In this episode: ▪️ The one detail that proves Mendoza was still with the twos on the first day in pads ▪️ Florio vs. Breer — two national voices, same practice, opposite reads ▪️ Tom Brady's role in the Kirk Cousins decision, in his own words ▪️ Carson Palmer, 2003 — the last No. 1 overall QB to sit a full rookie season ▪️ Maxx Crosby was dominant. Baltimore had two first-round picks on the table and blinked. ▪️ Eric Stokes is playing like CB1 and coaching up the rookies trying to take his job ▪️ Jermod McCoy's knee, and the detail nobody is reporting ▪️ Tyler Linderbaum at the point of attack, and the right guard job that's still open ▪️ Klint Kubiak: "We don't have any turds."

#raiders #raidersnews #raidernation #fernandomendoza

Timecodes:
0:00 Pads are on — Day 5 at Raiders camp
1:34 Klint Kubiak: "We don't have any turds"
2:04 Florio: the Raiders are starting "the lesser guy"
3:40 Albert Breer's answer from the practice field
5:00 The under-center problem nobody mentions
6:25 What actually happened to Mendoza in pads
7:12 The Jordan Meredith snap detail
8:42 Operation, not arm talent
10:18 Tom Brady's fingerprints are all over this
12:25 Sits all year or plays a lot? Both can't be true
12:54 Carson Palmer, 2003 — the last No. 1 QB to sit
14:10 The tell: watch his under-center reps
15:05 Maxx Crosby was dominant in pads
16:17 Baltimore had two first-rounders on the table
17:49 The snap count nobody will talk about
20:24 Eric Stokes is playing like CB1
21:49 The CB2 job — being honest, we don't know
23:17 Jermod McCoy's knee
25:20 Why the secondary decides this season
27:04 The wide receiver problem
28:48 No No. 1 receiver, and Kubiak may not want one
31:45 The trenches: Linderbaum at the point of attack
33:54 Kubiak adjusted inside the practice
34:32 Tonka Hemingway is emerging
35:43 The whole rebuild in one morning
37:17 What's next: Thursday and Allegiant
39:50 Raider Nation hotline + where to find us

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