The Las Vegas Raiders owner, Mark Davis, drafted his first Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, in the 2026 NFL Draft after taking over the franchise from his father, Al Davis. With that selection comes major expectations, as Mendoza is already being viewed as a potential piece in bringing the Raiders back to relevance.
And as the young quarterback prepares for his rookie season, Raiders legends and former Heisman Trophy winners Marcus Allen, Tim Brown, and Charles Woodson, all drafted by Al Davis, have shared advice for him moving forward.
“Don’t try and be Tom Brady, don’t try and be Patrick Mahomes. Just be who you are,” Brown said when asked what piece of advice they’d offer to Mendoza. “Because at the end, it’s always going to come down to that anyway. You can plan to do this and plan to do that, but what’s in you is what’s always going to come out of you in the end.”
Mendoza has long viewed Tom Brady as his idol, largely because he grew up in Boston and saw the former New England Patriots quarterback as the biggest sports icon in his hometown. Following his dominant 2025 season at Indiana, the Raiders quickly emerged as the favorites to draft him with the first overall pick.
Ahead of the draft, the Raiders hosted Mendoza for a Top 30 visit. While it marked his first in-person meeting with Brady, the two had already connected virtually during the scouting combine in February, where Mendoza was asked to break down his game and explain his long-term vision as a quarterback. The conversations reportedly left a strong impression on both Brady and the Raiders’ staff.
But even before Las Vegas officially selected Mendoza first overall, there was already an expectation that Brady, now a minority owner with the franchise, would take on a mentorship role during the quarterback’s rookie season. According to reports, Brady and Mendoza remained in contact before the draft process even concluded.
During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, the former Indiana quarterback opened up about one of his conversations with Brady, admitting the seven-time Super Bowl champion made it clear he would not take it easy on him.
“He gave me the message that he’s going to push me,” said Mendoza. “He’s not going to be all lovey-dovey – and that if the Raiders draft me, he’s going to be a mentor and wants to pour into whatever QB the Raiders have.”
Mendoza enters the NFL following a historic season at Indiana, where he led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 record and a national championship. During that run, he completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.
Given the trajectory Mendoza created for himself throughout his college career, it is easy to understand why Brown emphasized authenticity over imitation. And interestingly enough, Allen and Woodson echoed a very similar message.
Allen focused on the importance of earning respect inside the locker room, while Woodson encouraged Mendoza to embrace his own personality and leadership style fully.
“You need guys in your corner and the best way to get that is go in and be a great teammate,” Allen said. “Work your ass off and do everything you possibly can to be a success.”
Woodson closed the conversation with, “The easiest thing is to be who you are,” Woodson said. “He looks like he’s a very charismatic individual, high energy, looks like he wants to learn and he looks like he’ll be a sponge.”
That said, the Raiders are not expected to throw Mendoza directly into the fire during his rookie season. Under head coach Klint Kubiak, the franchise signed Kirk Cousins to a five-year, $172 million deal, with the veteran expected to mentor Mendoza before eventually handing over the reins.
At the same time, the Raiders are already focusing on one particular area of Mendoza’s game they believe still needs development before he fully takes over as the franchise quarterback.”
Fernando Mendoza is working on his weakness ahead of the rookie season
Fernando Mendoza is walking into a franchise that finished 3-14, ranked dead last in both points and yards allowed in the 2025 season, has not won a playoff game since the 2002 season, and last made the postseason five years ago. So, as the first overall pick, the expectations surrounding Mendoza are massive.
The biggest concern, however, is that he operated almost exclusively out of the shotgun formation throughout college and rarely played under center. Now, heading into his rookie season, the quarterback is actively working on that weakness.
“During the media viewing period of practice, Mendoza primarily took snaps under center — which is what he is expected to do in coach Klint Kubiak’s offensive scheme,” ESPN’s Ryan McDadden wrote. “Mendoza said he ‘still has a long way to go’ to learn how to play under center after operating mostly in shotgun formation at California and Indiana.”
During the 2025 season at Indiana, Mendoza took just three percent of his snaps under center. Across his college career at Cal and Indiana, he reportedly took only five snaps from under center altogether. Kubiak’s offense, meanwhile, comes directly from the Shanahan-Kubiak coaching tree, which heavily relies on West Coast concepts, wide-zone runs, and play-action passing.
So, while Mendoza’s decision-making and accuracy have already earned him praise, adapting to Kubiak’s system could become one of the biggest early tests of his NFL career as he looks to establish himself with the Raiders.
