Mike Sullivan is helping build Raiders’ next franchise QB — just like 12 years ago

Shortly after Fernando Mendoza finished his first handful of NFL practices, he sat down with Mike Sullivan to discuss everything that transpired within them. Literally everything.

Before breaking for the summer, the Raiders’ new quarterbacks coach and the rookie watched film of every single throw Mendoza made during the Raiders’ OTAs practices. Sullivan had the No. 1 draft pick audit every detail of each pass — from his progression and timing to his footwork and accuracy — and evaluate what he did well and where he fell short. Mendoza handwrote his critique, which helped him digest his common mistakes and provided a physical reference for things to work on.

“Didn’t have the neatest handwriting,” Sullivan joked. “I said, ‘maybe you could type this next time.’”

Mendoza reflected on the “voluminous” exercise, as Sullivan put it, throughout the summer and said it has helped him “kill urges” and “make the right play” during training camp. Sullivan and the Raiders’ coaching staff have lauded the rookie for not repeating mistakes.

“He’s someone that I think a lot of his confidence comes from the preparation and the type of time and effort that he puts in,” Sullivan said. “To really continue to press, to continue to work, to improve, to never be satisfied is a benefit to a quarterback because then they get in situations it doesn’t seem as hard and it doesn’t seem as challenging.”

Sullivan, along with head coach Klint Kubiak and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko, is in charge of building up the Raiders’ quarterback of the future. It’s the same role Sullivan was in 12 years ago, before he ever knew it.

Sullivan was out of a job in the spring of 2014. He’d been the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator the previous two seasons, but was out of work after Greg Schiano and his entire staff were purged.

David Carr approached Sullivan with an opportunity. Carr was a backup quarterback and Sullivan the QBs coach for the New York Giants’ Super Bowl-winning 2011 team. Now, Carr’s younger brother Derek was preparing to enter the NFL, and David felt that Sullivan was the right coach to prepare him for the 2014 NFL Draft.

“I had some time on my hands,” Sullivan said. “And I thought, ‘What a great way to get back into the game and work with a fine young quarterback.’”

Derek and Sullivan trained for the NFL Combine and Fresno State’s Pro Day in the Carr’s hometown of Bakersfield, Calif. Sullivan’s meticulous approach was the same he used with NFL quarterbacks, and he ensured Carr he would always be “the most prepared guy in the room.”

“His impact on me in just those few months was so great that I’m still using those things today,” Carr said. “I always joke that (former Raiders head coach Jon) Gruden has seen every clip of film ever in football history. I think Sully is another one of those guys for sure.”

Watching film with Sullivan can feel like wringing water from a stone. Carr said that no matter how much of the same tape he watched with the coach, Sullivan always found a way to squeeze out a new teaching point. Carr added that Sullivan’s superpower is taking that information and relaying it in a concise format, ensuring his quarterbacks can use what they’re learning without being overwhelmed.

Carr believes that Sullivan’s emphasis on preparation stems from his Army background. Sullivan graduated from West Point while playing defensive back for the football team. He then attended Army Airborne, Ranger and Assault Schools and served in the 25th Infantry Division before starting his coaching career. Sullivan said he views coaching quarterbacks militaristically, trying to make practice rigorous and thorough so his players feel calm in the chaos of games.

“We try to do everything that we can to enable a quarterback, when he’s called on to perform… he’s not thinking too much. He’s kind of on autopilot,” Sullivan said. “He’s created muscle memory in his footwork, his upper body, his vision. He’s developed that kind of chemistry with his receivers and can anticipate the play call and knows the situation.”

Sullivan and Mendoza’s post-OTAs debriefings are an example of that. Mendoza feels like his diligence formed that necessary muscle memory to quiet his brain, creating more comfort — and success — on the field.

Carr said his training with Sullivan was similarly intensive, even in the shortened timeframe. The coach taught him fine details about studying film, reading defenses and mechanics. Despite similar focal points carried throughout their sessions, Carr said his training with Sullivan never got stale, which allowed for advanced growth in just a few months.

“There has to be a positive approach (to coaching), and you want to have enthusiasm and be creative,” Sullivan said. “Sometimes, you have to change things up a little bit to get it to sink in.”

Sullivan has a deep inventory of drills that teach his same tenets, even if, occasionally, a drill itself can feel completely unnatural. He’s also not afraid to experiment in the meeting room; he says he’ll go off-topic to relate one of his life experiences back to the lesson at hand, and he won’t hesitate to “bust chops” when needed to keep things light. His lessons stuck with Carr beyond their time together, and after the Raiders selected Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

“He was showing me things and teaching me things that I was seeing in games he wasn’t even my coach for,” Carr said. “He was giving me tools that I used throughout my career … little tips he came up on and drills he came up with. I’m still teaching them to kids nowadays.”

Among Sullivan’s coaching stops were with the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning 2011 team, where David Carr (No. 8) was a backup. (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)

While Carr remained close with Sullivan throughout his 10 NFL seasons, the two never shared a team. Still, Carr credits Sullivan for setting him up for success in silver and black. Carr holds the Raiders’ franchise records for passing yards (35,222), passing touchdowns (217), pass completions (3,201) and pass attempts (4,958), while also leading the team to its last two playoff appearances in 2016 and 2021.

Sullivan might also be able to credit Carr some for his job with the Raiders. Carr was coached by Kubiak and Janocko in 2024 while a member of the New Orleans Saints and formed a relationship with the tandem. When they realized they wanted to add a quarterbacks coach to their staff in Las Vegas, Carr said the Raiders reached out to consult with him about options. Sullivan was a known commodity to both coaches, as he worked with Kubiak in Denver and Janocko in Tampa Bay. But Carr made sure to endorse Sullivan when he was brought up as a candidate.

“I remember they asked me about Sully and I must have went on for about 10 minutes,” Carr said. “I think at that point they were like, ‘Alright man, we get it.’ I always say good things about everybody, but I just had more to say about Sully and I couldn’t stop talking.”

Whether Carr’s cosign was a factor in Sullivan’s hiring or not, the coach is now a key part of the braintrust leading the Raiders’ offense. Kubiak said Sullivan’s coaching and life experience have taught the team’s quarterbacks a lot thus far, and Carr believes pairing Sullivan’s veteran nature with Kubiak and Janocko is a perfect connection.

“From a football aspect, I mean these guys are hard workers,” Carr said. “They’re grinding tape. They’re doing all the things you would want as a player. They’re trying to find that one thing that may cost us a game and so they can show you and then you’re ready for it in a game. We’re all human, we all may miss something, but if three of them are doing it, they’re probably not gonna miss a lot.”

Carr also believes that Sullivan is a strong fit to shape Mendoza based on his own experiences of receiving Sullivan’s coaching as a young player. Carr said as long as Mendoza’s willing to be a “sponge,” Sullivan will ensure Mendoza absorbs all he can. And with the Raiders appearing to take a slow approach with Mendoza’s development, Sullivan will ensure the rookie is fully prepared before he’s deployed.

Sullivan said that not all young quarterbacks can be coached the same. Differing personalities and learning processes can cause him to convey his message differently to different players. But Sullivan’s characterization of Mendoza and Carr is quite similar.

Sullivan on Carr: “He was into every little detail, how much he really wanted to improve. There was nothing that was too small. He didn’t take anything for granted.”

And on Mendoza: “He just wants to get better. He’s gonna do anything and everything, whether it’s in the meeting room or on his own, going through his own walk-throughs that he does… He’s so committed to the process and not concerned whatsoever with anything else.”

Sullivan did not want to compare the two players; he complimented both of their arm strengths and mobility without relating them to each other. Yet he did confirm that their drive is of the same ilk.

“I think the competitive spirit and the desire to improve, grow and get better is something that they both share,” Sullivan said.

How much Mendoza grows will have a determining effect on how much the Raiders can get better. Sullivan will play a key role in his improvement, hoping to foster the same success in his new pupil that only his old one led the franchise to in the last quarter century.