After months of lurking inevitability that no one bothered to really conceal, Fernando Mendoza is officially a Las Vegas Raider after being made the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders hopefully have their long-term franchise quarterback, even if he doesn't start right away.
Now, of course, Raider Nation will be officially brushing up on an ABBA song ("Fernando") and looking to secure their Mendoza jerseys as soon as possible. The question is what number Mendoza will wear for the Raiders after he wore No. 15 in college at both Cal and Indiana.
The Raiders don't have any retired numbers, and at this point, they probably never will. But some numbers certainly carry that exalted status in franchise history, like 12 (Ken Stabler), 32 (Marcus Allen), 00 (Jim Otto) and 16 (Jim Plunkett), and a standard that'd be hard to live up to.
Fernando Mendoza is already saying the right things about his jersey number
Before winning Super Bowl XV as the Raiders' head coach, Hall of Famer Tom Flores also wore No. 15 as a Raiders quarterback from 1960 to 1966. Speaking to Raiders reporters after he was drafted, Mendoza said he connected with Plunkett recently and also addressed the topic of his jersey number.
"It means everything. The legacy that the Raiders has here. It's a cornerstone franchise of the NFL. And just researching all the history, I got to meet Jim Plunkett at the Heisman ceremony. Another Latino QB. Was awesome to connect with him. Look forward to connecting with more of the history," Mendoza said. "I wore number 15 in college. So, if I get the opportunity to wear number 15 with the Raiders, that would be fantastic. But I don't know if I've earned that yet because of the legendary Tom Flores, who also played quarterback and evidently was just a Raiders icon. So, I have a lot of earning and proving to do."
It's admirable and expected that Mendoza is intent on earning his stripes as a Raiders quarterback and wants to earn the right to wear his college number. Holding Flores in such high regard is also fantastic, and shows he knows Raiders history far better than a lot of incoming rookies might.
But as Levi Edwards of Raiders.com noted, the recent history of the No. 15 in Silver and Black is a low bar for Mendoza to clear. He should have no trouble getting the number immediately if he wants it, and let's assume he wants it.
Fernando Mendoza said he’s not sure if he’s earned the right to wear No. 15 for the #Raiders yet since it was Hall of Fame coach Tom Flores number.
— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) April 24, 2026
So modest of him (btw, if Gardner Minshew got 15, I feel good about his chances.)
That said, Mendoza is sure to seek the blessing of the 89-year old Flores to wear No. 15 before actually donning it. If the Raiders' social media team is on top of it, and there's no doubt they would be given Mendoza's comments, they'll capture that conversation and share it with the world.
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