Fernando Mendoza is gearing up for his first season in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders selected Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 draft after he led the Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated 2025 season and a national championship.
Tom Brady’s Advice
Mendoza recently shared some of the advice that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady has lent him in the first two months of being with Las Vegas. Mendoza said, “You need to be the most competitive. You need to be the most leader. You have to have the most leadership.” He also stated that one needs to be the toughest, both mentally and physically, and lead by example to gain respect from teammates.
Mendoza will also have Kirk Cousins to lean on in certain situations, although Cousins doesn’t see their relationship as a mentor-mentee situation. It’s unclear whether Mendoza will be the Week 1 starter, as Cousins has proved to have some left in the tank to play.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
