The Las Vegas Raiders' infatuation with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza isn't a secret. Not only did they send their three heaviest hitters on the field to watch him before the National Championship, but reports have indicated that their head coach search was centered around Menoza coming in.
It'll be some time until Mendoza is officially a Raider, but fans can expect the team to turn in the card rather quickly when the 2026 NFL Draft starts in April. Between him and the reported new head coach, Klint Kubiak, the sky could be the limit for Las Vegas in the coming years.
Star running back Ashton Jeanty already weighed in on Mendoza, showering him with praise. Some experts think that Mendoza could be a Joe Burrow-type player in the NFL. But what does Mendoza think about potentially being the No. 1 pick and coming to the Raiders? He may have just told us.
Fernando Mendoza has high praise for Raiders fans and locker room
Mendoza appeared on the Up & Adams Show on Friday afternoon, and he was showered with Raiders chants upon taking the stage. When asked by host Kay Adams if he knew what he was hearing, Mendoza replied confidently and expressed his admiration for Raider Nation.
"Yeah, the Raiders chant!" Mendoza said. "I was here in Berkeley, Oakland, the Raiders fans are some of the best fans in all of the NFL. They're diehard, they're loyal, and they really go all-in for their team. Loyal is the word."
Clearly, Las Vegas' prospective quarterback understands how special this fanbase is. Of course, he then spoke about how playing for any team would be a blessing, but Mendoza has experience playing college football in the Bay Area, surrounded by Raiders fans. His affinity for them was obvious.
Adams then asked Mendoza about being the No. 1 overall pick, to which he simply responded:
"God bless, that'd be great," Mendoza said.
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Then, Adams honed in on the Raiders, in particular, and asked Mendoza about how he plans to bring leadership and a winning mentality to a locker room in Las Vegas that desperately needs it.
"I think it gets a little twisted sometimes. It's not just one guy that's gonna go in and just completely supercede everything," Mendoza said. "There's so many great veterans on every team, including the Raiders, like Maxx Crosby. There's just so many guys on the offensive and defensive line that are just great leaders on the team. And I believe that I'm gonna do everything I can and ask those veterans, 'Hey, how can I help as a leader? What can I do?' And really just give it my all and try to work with those guys because it's a team effort, and we can only do it if the team comes together. When the team comes together with the coaching staff, it can help us reach new heights."
It sounds like Mendoza both loves Raiders fans and the idea of being the No. 1 pick. He also has an advanced understanding of the situation that he may be walking into in Las Vegas, and Mendoza is prepared to find ways to contribute as a leader right away.
Now, Mendoza is too PR-trained to put all his eggs into the Raiders basket and start talking like he is already a member of the team. But he clearly likes Raider Nation, the idea of being the No. 1 pick (who wouldn't?) and is ready to take on the challenge of turning things around.
John Spytek, just turn in the card a few months early. Nobody will complain.