Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza Shares His Favorite Tom Brady Advice

We can debate how ideal the football situation is for Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders’ wide receiver room is one of the weakest in the NFL.

The AFC West is one of the strongest divisions in the NFL.

Klint Kubiak has been a wizard as an offensive coordinator, most recently helping the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX, but his prowess as a head coach will be determined next season.

But Mendoza hit the quarterback mentor lottery.

Before the Raiders made Mendoza the No. 1 overall pick in April’s 2026 NFL Draft, they signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. Cousins is, in many ways, Mendoza 15 years in the future, as seen in the Raiders’ “Step Brothers”-themed schedule release video last week. But above all, Mendoza has the ear of Tom Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders.

Mendoza opened up to Sports Illustrated about having a seven-time Super Bowl-winning GOAT as a mentor at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere. He shared that his brunch with Brady and Travis Scott resulted in “quality information” that he “wrote down on a notepad.”

“I don't know about taking it all for myself,” Mendoza said. “I always want to share, but the one biggest thing that I thought was awesome was when Tom talked about leadership and the two variables that you need to be a great leader. One, care about your teammates, and second, care about the team's goals. It's not about being a Pro Bowler, being a star player. It's about caring about your teammates, who they are and caring about winning, and the team's ultimate goal, which is to win a championship.”

Mendoza has been a sponge in the Raiders’ facility, too.

“[He has] not disappointed,” Kubiak said after the Raiders’ voluntary OTA on Wednesday, per ESPN. “He’s working his tail off. It’s very important to him that he asks a lot of great questions when he gets on the field. He’s no B.S.; he’s all ball.”

Mendoza emerged as the consensus No. 1 overall pick at Indiana last season. He led the Hoosiers to an unprecedented 16-0 season and their first national championship in program history. Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards and an FBS-most 41 passing touchdowns on 72% completion, and he won the Heisman Trophy.

Now, whether he starts Week 1 or later down the road, Mendoza will try to lead the Raiders to their first playoff win since January 2003.

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 6:53 PM.