2026 NFL schedule leaves Raiders without primetime games as Mendoza starts rookie season

The NFL’s release of the 2026 schedule leaves the Las Vegas Raiders without a single scheduled primetime appearance, a notable omission for the team that selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall. The decision arrives as Mendoza begins his rookie season with expectations to stabilize a franchise that struggled in 2025, while Las Vegas also weighs how quickly to incorporate its new quarterback into the offense.

The Raiders’ absence from national evening windows includes no Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, or Thursday-night prime-time games. If the schedule remains unchanged through the season, it would be the first time Las Vegas has gone a full season without a primetime slot since 2010. Some observers have pointed to a broader lack of special-event visibility, including no holiday matchup and no international showcase during the planned slate.

The NFL has framed its approach to primetime assignments around team performance rather than draft status. Mike North, the league’s vice president of broadcasting, planning and scheduling, said that teams earn larger national windows by playing well. “These teams have every opportunity to play themselves in the...