Reasons to Believe Fernando Mendoza is Franchise QB the Raiders Have Needed

No draft pick in the history of the National Football League has come with a guarantee of things working out well. However, the Las Vegas Raiders have reason to believe Fernando Mendoza is their quarterback of the future. Even if Mendoza does not work out, he is the Raiders' best option.

Las Vegas had several front-office members in attendance for a legendary championship performance by the quarterback they are all but guaranteed to take No. 1 overall in the upcoming draft. The Raiders will not get a better look at Mendoza than they did Monday night.

Mendoza Has the Goods

If there were any doubts on whether or not Mendoza was worthy of being drafted No. 1 overall, he removed them Monday night against Miami. Mendoza repeatedly battled through adversity. Mendoza's championship performance was notable for the intangibles he displayed above all else.

Mendoza's 16 completions on 27 attempts for 186 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions were nothing to write home about. However, the timely plays Mendoza made against Miami were a large part of why the Hoosiers won the National Championship.

Raider — Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) gets loose before the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On 4th and four with nine minutes left in the game and the Hoosiers up one, on Miami's 12-yard line and up by three points, Indiana would take their field goal unit off the field and put the ball in Mendoza's hand. Even had Indiana lost, Mendoza had done enough to warrant going No. 1.

Still, he delivered a touchdown run for the ages, sealing his fate as the best player in the draft. Following the game, Mendoza recalled the touchdown run. It was the type of play franchise quarterbacks are made of, which is exactly what the Raiders hope to get in Mendoza.

“But it’s fourth down, so you’ve got to put it all on the line. Every player, if they had that opportunity, they’d put their body on the line, too," Mendoza said after the game.

Mendoza also made timely throws several times for chunks of yards. This included a 19-yard completion a few plays before his big run. The completion was on 4th and five with Indiana in field goal range. Indiana's belief in Mendoza should speak volumes to the Raiders' front office.

It was another case of Indiana putting the season and the championship in Mendoza's hands. Just like every other time Indiana did that during its undefeated championship season, Mendoza delivered. Mendoza has mobility that the Raiders have not had at quarterback in years.

Mendoza is highly accurate and battle-tested. In combination with his entire Heisman-winning season, Mendoza's performance on the biggest stage made one thing clear: unless the Raiders get a ridiculous offer for the No. 1 pick, Mendoza is the one. Figuratively and literally.

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