Fernando Mendoza is officially a Raider. And the best to ever do it at the quarterback position couldn’t be happier.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady posted to his Instagram Story about the team’s newest QB after the team made the No. 1 pick official on Thursday night at the 2026 NFL Draft.
“Hard work, resilience, discipline, accountability, leadership, teamwork,” he wrote over a Raiders-themed illustration of “The Office’s” Michael Scott shaking hands with former boss Ed Truck. “That’s what this game is all about. LFG
“Raider nation, we will make you proud.”
The Raiders turned the inevitable into a reality when they selected Mendoza, the Heisman-winning signal-caller who led Indiana to its first national championship in football in 2025.
Mendoza led all of FBS college football with 41 touchdown passes and a 182.9 passer rating. But during the NFL combine, he made clear he’s eager to learn, saying he hopes Brady can provide some mentoring in Las Vegas.
“Yeah, I mean, who hasn’t admired Tom Brady? I mean, more Super Bowl rings than anybody … anybody!” Mendoza told reporters in February. “So, that opportunity would be fantastic. Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time — by a wide margin — and to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him would mean so much.
“Especially to learn, and I’m all about learning. So from Day 1, you know, I’ve got to learn a lot. It’s gonna be a long journey, and to potentially have a mentor like that, it would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful.”
The Raiders had a busy offseason and gave Mendoza some early help by adding center Tyler Linderbaum and wide receiver Jalen Nailor in free agency.
But the biggest move that could impact whether Mendoza starts day one was the signing of 37-year-old QB Kirk Cousins after he was cut by the Falcons.
The four-time Pro Bowler, after two rocky seasons in Atlanta, told new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak that he wants the team to play the best option under center.
“I think we all want to play, but I made this clear to Klint that the best player needs to play,” Cousins told reporters earlier this month. “If that’s not me, I don’t want to be out there. I don’t think that’s the best thing for the team. If I am the best option, then I believe it’s important that those guys are out there.
“But I’m excited to get the chance to lead and help influence in the locker room and do my part, do my role, and just, most importantly, help our team win.”
