When Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek addressed the media during the 2026 NFL scouting combine, he had to know that two big questions would be asked: What does Maxx Crosby's future hold, and what are his thoughts on likely No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza?
Although most reporters steered clear of referring to the Indiana quarterback by name, several got creative with how they tried to gather intel. When Spytek was asked about what he wants to see from a franchise quarterback, he had the following response:
"A leader, tough as hell, somebody that loves to play football, maniacal preparer. Obviously, somebody that can throw the ball well," Spytek said. "Just somebody that loves the game and will give everything for their teammate. A selfless person, somebody that's going to give their team everything that they got every time that they're out there. Prepare the right way, lead the right way. I think there's a great humility and selflessness required to play that position at a high level."
It sure sounds like he's describing Mendoza.
John Spytek's 'franchise quarterback' sounds like Fernando Mendoza
Mendoza became famous in the college football landscape over the last few months, and not just for the incredible on-field prowess that led him to a Heisman Trophy and a national championship. Mendoza was beloved by his teammates, and that spread throughout the nation.
Several times, Mendoza told reporters that he would "die on the field for his brothers." When asked to give himself credit or to praise an aspect of the recent performance, he never looked in the mirror; he always pointed to his teammates. He is the ultimate example of what Spytek is talking about.
Spytek was asked, however, what he looks for when evaluating college quarterbacks. Of course, he started it off by cracking a joke about how much shotgun and pistol college teams currently run, but then the second-year general manager gave some great insight about the process.
"If they can take a snap from under center right now," Spytek joked. "It's the hardest position to evaluate. So much is required of those guys, and trying to have a vision for how they played in whatever offense they were asked to run in college and how they're gonna fit into ours, how they're gonna handle the pressure that comes with being one of 32 in the world, is a lot. ... It's obviously super important."
Again, the Raiders' lead front office man was asked about how he looks at a quarterback's transition from the college ranks to the NFL level and how much the game itself changes. Spytek, again, spoke about attributes that highlight what makes Mendoza special as a prospect.
"I think it's less about that and more about -- Do you believe that they have the mental aptitude to really learn and process information fast?" Spytek asked. "I wouldn't just say because they ran this offense in college, we're gonna hold that against them or for them. I think every playbook in the NFL is probably quite a bit bigger than one in college is. To us, it's about how much can they process, how hard will they work, how much can they remember?"
Some detractors from the Mendoza hype train have pointed to Indiana's tendency to run RPOs and other non-pro-style offensive schemes as a criticism of him. Of course, this ignores that most college quarterbacks run similar systems and that Mendoza thrived in pro situations on third downs.
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Fortunately, Las Vegas' brass will get to meet with Mendoza officially for the first time this week at the combine in Indianapolis. When asked what he hopes to derive from these meetings, Spytek had some thoughtful answers that, once again, sounded like he was describing Mendoza.
"We're looking for leadership traits. Can he be a connector? Is he smart? Is he endearing? Does he have humility?" Spytek said. "We're gonna get 18 minutes to spend with these guys this week in those formal interviews. It's a 'Dip your toe in the water, get to know these guys.'"
Endearing.
That is something that most college prospects are not labeled. But Mendoza is. The fact that this word was top of mind for Spytek means, to me, that somewhere in his head, he was answering questions in the context of Mendoza the entire time.
In the final question that was essentially asked about Mendoza, one reporter wondered how personality and maturity factor into the equation when drafting a quarterback. Spytek answered that it is critical:
"I think personality always matters at any position, and probably moreso at the quarterback position because that is what people think is the leader," Spytek said. "That is what you really hope to get: That person that drives the culture; drives the team. Of course, I think personality does matter. ... (Maturity) always matters. It's a big-time job. It requires a high level of maturity and accountability."
Well, you'd be hard-pressed to find a single person in the media or a single teammate of Mendoza's who doesn't think that he has a great personality. His infectious approach to football and life can be just what this Raiders team needs.
Mendoza isn't a perfect prospect. And Spytek can't tip his hand. But the Raiders' general manager is going to learn soon enough, if he doesn't know already, that when describing his ideal franchise quarterback, he was talking about Mendoza.