One would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't have a glowing review of Las Vegas Raiders rookie Fernando Mendoza. The No. 1 overall pick captured the nation's heart during his triumphant college championship run, and those at Raiders HQ have sung his praises since he was drafted.
We can now comfortably add Maxx Crosby to that list.
After sending Mendoza a message on draft night and speaking about him and the rookie class on his podcast after the 2026 NFL Draft, Crosby has addressed the local media in Las Vegas for the first time since late last season. Naturally, Crosby was asked about the Raiders' franchise quarterback.
Although the star defensive end hasn't been on the field due to injury, and the results have been mixed thus far for the rookie signal-caller, Crosby praised Mendoza at length for his college career and his approach in the early going. But not his basketball skills. More on that later.
Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby speaks on rookie QB Fernando Mendoza
Crosby spoke to reporters after Wednesday's OTA practice, in which he stretched and hung out on the side but did not participate as he works his way back from knee surgery. He began by giving Mendoza his flowers for a great college career.
"He's an awesome kid. Everyone knows his ability, what they've seen," Crosby began. "Obviously, especially this past season at Indiana, couldn't have been a greater year for an individual player at a college level, winning the Heisman, winning the natty, not losing a game. Having a game-winning touchdown in the national championship. He checked every single box and some."
However, Crosby wasn't just going to anoint Mendoza and verbally or even metaphorically give him the keys to the franchise. He talked about how important it is for young players to come into the building with the right mindset, one of humility and an eagerness to learn and gain respect.
"You come into the NFL, and you're ground zero," Crosby explained. "And I think that's what is the most important thing when you're a young guy coming into the league, is realizing that. Listen, you don't just come in and say, 'Now you just start where you left off in college.' That's not the reality. You come here, and you have to earn your respect all over again and build up trust within your teammates and your coaches and the whole nine."
Is Mendoza doing that? It sure sounds like he is, based on what Crosby and others have said up to this point, even if he hasn't quite put it all together on the field yet.
"Fernando's been awesome, he's a great kid, he has a great work ethic," Crosby said. "But ultimately, he's a competitor. He's learning and getting better every single day. So, I'm really excited for what he's going to bring to this team, and you can already feel his energy on a daily basis. He's been extremely consistent."
As we've said, the on-field stuff will come. He'll eventually learn the footwork of playing under center. Mendoza will learn how to go through progressions and pick apart defenses. With this coaching staff, that stuff can be taught. But the intangibles and the desire cannot.
One thing that the Raiders' coaching staff isn't teaching this offseason, though, is how to shoot a jumpshot. If they had, maybe Mendoza's experience at Crosby's house for Game 7 of the NBA's Western Conference Finals would have gone a bit differently.
"I had a lot of the young guys over at the house. We watched game 7," Crosby began. "Fernando was unfortunately behind me in a game of H.O.R.S.E., and I destroyed him. I got him out of there quick. He's gotta work on the jump shot."
Of course, this is a tongue-in-cheek comment from Crosby, and nobody in Raider Nation or the building really cares what his basketball skill set looks like. But this story and interaction show a sense of comfort already forming between the two franchise cornerstones.
And it is a good thing that Crosby is taking these young players under his wing and getting them together outside of the team facility. Stuff like this goes a long way because young guys need to get connected, but they also need to know that they're part of the team and the veterans care for them.
While Crosby didn't dive into what Mendoza has looked like on the field, the five-time Pro Bowler can speak to what he's seen from the young player thus far. Again, the game will come. But Mendoza seems to have the right process, which will matter more in the long run, and Crosby recognizes that.
Add us as a preferred source on Google