Fernando Mendoza Relays His Thoughts on Potentially Joining Raiders As No. 1 Pick

The former Indiana quarterback is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in this April’s draft.

Fernando Mendoza is a national champion. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza helped Indiana put an undefeated cap on their storybook season this week by leading the Hoosiers to a 27–21 win over Miami in the CFP national championship. The 22-year-old went a modest 16-for-28 passing in the contest for 186 yards, but was able to do his part to help seal the victory in the fourth quarter by breaking loose for an epic 4th-and-five touchdown run near the goal line to give Indiana a two-score lead.

Now? Mendoza is back on the job market, where he's #OpenToWork after officially declaring for the NFL draft on Friday. He's widely expected to be the No. 1 pick—a selection the Raiders currently own after going just 3–14 this past season.

MORE: Indiana Football QB Depth Chart: Who Will Replace Fernando Mendoza?

Without a long-term answer under center, Las Vegas feels like a natural landing spot for Mendoza. The signal caller spoke about the possibility of landing in Sin City during a recent appearance on The Today Show.

“I’d be blessed to play anywhere,” Mendoza, humble as ever, explained. “The No. 1 pick is a great blessing, but any pick is a fantastic blessing. You only need one team to believe in you, so whatever team believes in me, I’m going to give them my most ... The Raiders have a great culture, great coaching staff, great ownership group. It’s all around. Those are legit guys, so I’d be happy to end up anywhere.”

Raiders minority owner Tom Brady speaks on Fernando Mendoza’s “very bright” future

Tom Brady was present at the national championship on Monday night. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Speaking of the national championship game, NFL legend, Fox Sports broadcaster, and—perhaps most notably, given the circumstances—Raiders minority owner Tom Brady was among those on hand to watch Mendoza and the Hoosiers on Monday night. The 48-year-old is once again expected to be heavily involved in the team's search for a new head coach, and is likely to have plenty of say in who they select at the top of the first round.

While speaking with Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports’ The Herd this week, Brady relayed his opinion on Mendoza.

“He’s played tremendous all season,” said the seven-time Super Bowl champion. “16–0, leading his team. And again he’s another guy that when you hear him speak—I always judge quarterbacks [by asking], ‘How would I have answered that?’ And he’s just a very mature young man and he’s got a bright future.”

"He played tremendous all season, 16-0 leading his team... He's just a very mature young man, he's got a bright future."@colincowherd and @TomBrady discuss Indiana Hoosier QB Fernando Mendoza pic.twitter.com/zlxphvxBCD

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 23, 2026

“You know everybody coming into the league, there’s still so much room for development,” Brady continued “Nobody is a finished product. I don’t care if you’ve won the Heisman or if you’re the 199th pick in the draft. It's what do you do when you get there? How important is this to you? Are you obsessed with your job? Are you obsessed with being the best you can be? These young men, whether it's Fernando or a lot of other players that were on the field the other night, they have a great opportunity to do something in their life, to enhance their family's life, to go impact a community in a positive way by playing great football and bringing joy to the fanbase. And that's a job you take very seriously, so all these young prospects, I hope they go to environments that embrace them completely, that can help them develop into the best player they can be.”

We’ll see if Las Vegas ultimately decides to embrace and develop Mendoza. The first round of the 2026 NFL draft is set for Thursday, April 23.

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