NFL news: Raiders No 1 pick Fernando Mendoza reveals Tom Brady’s QB advice
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Fernando Mendoza is preparing 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 leading the Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated season and national title in 2025. Even though Mendoza added the Heisman Trophy to his list of incredible accomplishments last year, he still has a lot to learn when it comes to being an NFL player.
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Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko talks with quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins during minicamp at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on June 9, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Mendoza recently shared some advice Raiders minority owner Tom Brady gave him during the first two months of his stay in Las Vegas.
“I think he said as a quarterback you have to be the best at everything. You have to be the most competitive. You have to be the most leading. You have to have the most leadership,” he said, via the Raiders. YouTube page.
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Raiders minority owner Tom Brady encourages players during the first half of a Raiders training camp mock game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Aug. 2, 2025. (LE Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
“You need to be the strongest, both mentally and physically. And to lead effectively, you must embody all of this and lead by example before earning the equality and respect of your teammates.”
Mendoza will also have Kirk Cousins to rely on in certain situations, although the veteran quarterback doesn’t view his relationship as a mentor-mentee situation.
“To say I mentored them is a bit of a far-out approach, probably more narrative than fact,” Cousins said last week. Athletic. “They’re pretty good players and pretty experienced, so I’m learning a lot from them and asking them questions.”
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected by the Las Vegas Raiders as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, attends a press conference at Raiders Headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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It’s unclear if Mendoza will be the Week 1 starter. It proved that Cousins has some left in the tank to play with. He signed a two-year, $12.6 million deal with the Raiders in the offseason.
