Fernando Mendoza, the NFL's first overall draft pick and the Las Vegas Raiders' rookie quarterback, threw a pick-six during his second preseason appearance, against the Houston Texans on Thursday night. The interception is being highlighted as an early example of the growing pains typically expected from rookie quarterbacks, even highly touted ones tipped as the cornerstone of a franchise's future.

The mistake came on only Mendoza's second pass of the game, underlining how early in his professional career these struggles are surfacing. Commentators, including Matt Hasselbeck on Colin Cowherd's show, have been analysing Mendoza's debut alongside fellow rookie Ty Simpson's, as part of wider discussion of this year's preseason quarterback storylines.