HENDERSON, NEVADA – MAY 02: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks to pass during the team’s rookie minicamp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on May 02, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
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The Las Vegas Raiders are a franchise that’s been struggling for over two decades. Since the Raiders appeared in the Super Bowl during the 2002 season, they’ve made the playoffs just twice with both being wild-card round losses. However, there’s a new hope in Las Vegas at the quarterback position in 2026 No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza, 6-foot-5, was astoundingly effective for the Indiana Hoosiers in 2025, winning the Heisman Trophy and the national championship. Mendoza threw for 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, six interceptions with a 72% completion rate.
Mendoza is now in an interesting situation in Las Vegas. Despite Mendoza’s collegiate accomplishments, immediate success in the NFL isn’t a given, something Raiders minority owner and future hall of fame quarterback Tom Brady knows.
Tom Brady’s Key Advice To Las Vegas Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza
During a conversation on the “Stick to Football” Podcast, Brady spoke about the road ahead for Mendoza.
“Now you’re just a member of the team,” Brady said about Mendoza. “Now you have to develop him. I think most people, and probably a lot of fans, they think just because you get a player on the team, well, now he’s going to be great. No, there’s a lot of development that still needs to happen.”
Mendoza’s development could in fact be aided by Brady’s presence. Mendoza recently told Front Office Sports that his relationship with Brady is “growing” and he’s been asking him more questions.
“He’s been able to give firsthand a lot of advice that has happened in his career,” Mendoza said. “And also advice when he’s come out to OTAs, seeing the way I play, that firsthand advice as well.”
Mendoza also shared some of the advice that Brady has given him to this point.
“I usually like to keep the talks between Tom and me private. But I do think what he said as a quarterback is you need to be the most everything,” Mendoza said, per Nick Shook of NFL.com. “You need to be the most competitive. You need to be the most leader, you have to have the most leadership. You need to be the toughest, mentally and physically. You’ve got to embody all these things and lead by example before getting the respect from your teammates, in order to lead effectively. That really resonated with me.”
While Brady is giving insights that resonate with Mendoza, the rookie quarterback has also earned Brady’s admiration with his maturity.
“When you hear him speak, I always kind of judge quarterbacks. I go, ‘How would I have answered that?’ And he’s just a very mature young man,” Brady said in January. “And he’s got a bright future.”
Mendoza’s career is just beginning, and to have a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Tom Brady in his corner should only prove to be a benefit. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Mendoza explained two key areas to zone in on.
“Tom talked about leadership and the two variables that you need to be a great leader. One, care about your teammates, and second, care about the team’s goals,” Mendoza said in May. “It’s not about being a Pro Bowler, being a star player. It’s about caring about your teammates, who they are and caring about winning, and the team’s ultimate goal, which is to win a championship.”
While Brady isn’t a coach, his input matters immensely within the Raiders organization. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has noted that he and Brady speak a lot and Brady gives him advice, thus any advice he offers Mendoza or anyone else on the roster will be welcomed.
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