Tom Brady is an enigma as it pertains to what exactly he does with or for the Las Vegas Raiders. And getting clarity on his role, or even his level of involvement with the Silver and Black, is like pulling teeth. Everyone has a guess, but nobody knows for sure. He's probably just a glorified consultant.
But one thing that Raider Nation knows for sure is that his presence matters. When he's in the building or up in the coach's booth on Monday Night Football, it feels like that is where he belongs. It feels like a good thing. Fans were pleased, then, to see him in Las Vegas recently at team HQ.
The occasion? Fernando Mendoza's 30 visit. Yes, Brady was also technically there on what was the first day of the offseason program for Klint Kubiak's team. But it's hard to imagine that that is what moved the needle for a busy bee like Brady. It was certainly Mendoza who brought him to town.
And Mendoza just revealed what Brady said to him during that visit.
Tom Brady assured Fernando Mendoza that he'll mentor him during Las Vegas Raiders 30 visit
Mendoza hasn't exactly been camera-shy in the days leading up to his inevitable selection atop the 2026 NFL Draft board on Thursday. After appearances on The Rich Eisen Show and Up & Adams, he joined the Dan Patrick Show, where he detailed a bit of his conversation with Brady during the visit.
"It was fantastic. It was fantastic," Mendoza said. "He gave me the message that he's going to push me, and he's not going to be all lovey-dovey. He's going to push me. And that if the Raiders draft me, he is going be a mentor, and wants to pour into whatever quarterback the Raiders have, whether it's me, whether they draft somebody else. Or, like, the Raiders also signed Kirk Cousins."
Now, fans know the second half of that statement is a bit of baloney, or extreme humility. It seems like Mendoza realized that he may have tipped the Raiders' plans, which are obvious anyway, and that he tried to walk things back a bit. He and I, and everyone reading this, know he is Las Vegas-bound.
That aside, it is incredibly promising to hear that the rumors about Brady being involved with the Raiders' young quarterback aren't just hearsay. Brady told Mendoza himself that he'll be involved, and that he plans on pushing him to be a great quarterback and wants to pour into him.
It's hard to imagine a better voice in Mendoza's ear than the undisputed greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Not to mention, Brady is someone who Mendoza idolized growing up, so this is quite a reason for him to be excited about coming to Las Vegas, in addition to everything else.
Even if Brady isn't all that involved on a day-to-day basis, which fans know he's not, and he has just been a valuable but elusive sounding board for John Spytek up to this point, Brady still has a chance to give the franchise and Raider Nation something special.
If he can have a hand in delivering a transformational quarterback to the Silver and Black, then the man once most famous in this fanbase and organization for "The Tuck Rule Game" will etch out a small place in the history of this storied franchise. And it may have all started with that conversation.
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