Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis was on the Fernando Mendoza train before the 2026 NFL Draft even took place, just as much of the fanbase was. And the young rookie is already making a great impression on both his teammates and his coaches, as he is taking to the offense well thus far, too.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer even noted that, a week before the draft, Davis poked his head into the Raiders' draft room and smiled as he saw that Mendoza was atop the team's board. This made him happy because, although he's not running the football operation, Davis is a part of the process.
He went to his college games, he spoke with him during his 30 visit, and Davis even attended Mendoza's Pro Day. The culmination of all of this was Davis essentially giving his stamp of approval on a player whom Breer said Davis "gravitated toward" during the pre-draft cycle.
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is exciting about team's direction with Fernando Mendoza
It was time to hear from the horse's mouth, however, and Davis is seemingly just as excited as fans expected him to be and as Breer painted him to be. In a recent interview with JT The Brick for Raider Nation Radio, Davis spilled how thrilled he is about the team's offseason and Mendoza, in particular.
"The offseasons have been very strong for us. We continually win the offseason, it's time to now make it translate to the regular season," Davis said. "I do feel a different vibe around this building right now. Everybody really is working together. Everybody seems to be on the same page. It seems like we're ready to go for a long-term, sustained growth now.
"With Fernando Mendoza coming in as potentially the starting quarterback is just so exciting. We've got the pieces in place; it's going to take a while to get all the players and everything, but I believe we're at the forefront of getting this thing going again."
And it is hard to disagree with Davis' assertion. Yes, Mendoza is a major piece of the puzzle for the Silver and Black, but John Spytek and his crew added several other promising pieces in both free agency and the draft to surround their young signal-caller with talent for years and years to come.
Everything that Las Vegas did this offseason could, in a way, be justified or categorized as an investment in Mendoza. As the No. 1 overall pick and a promising quarterback on a rookie deal, he is the single most important resource in the organization, and the Raiders cannot afford to waste it.
Now, Davis is also correct that the team needs to actually turn their offseason victories into wins on the field in the regular season. A strong offseason by most people's standards is not new for Las Vegas. But one that actually makes sense and that all of Raider Nation can get behind is, however.
Davis needs a winning season in Las Vegas badly. He has made endless attempts to get it right for the Silver and Black over the years, but to no avail. Finally, however, it seems like he has a golden ticket in Mendoza, and he knows it.
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