Fernando Mendoza Reveals Tom Brady's Message During Raiders OTAs
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL draft, handing the franchise over to a player who just delivered one of the most decorated college football seasons in history.
In just one year, the 22-year-old led the Indiana Hoosiers to their first national championship, a perfect 16-0 record, and the program’s first Big Ten title since 1967.
He also became just the fourth quarterback since 1967 to win the Heisman, a national championship, and go No. 1 overall, joining Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, and Cam Newton.
It’s safe to say the expectations for Mendoza in Vegas are incredibly high.
On Monday’s Raiders 2026 Media Day Live, Mendoza pulled back the curtain on what Tom Brady has been telling him during OTAs. And it’s exactly what you’d expect from the greatest football player of all time.
“What he says as a quarterback is that you need to be the most everything,” Mendoza said. “You need to be the most competitive. You need to have the most leadership. You need to be the toughest, mentally and physically. And you need to embody all of these things and lead by example to get the equity and respect by your teammates in order to lead effectively. I think that really resonated with me.”
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Brady is a minority owner of the Raiders. He became part of the ownership group after the NFL approved his stake in 2023.
Beyond holding an ownership interest, Brady plays an active role with the organization, serving as an advisor, mentor and resource for players and staff, most notably Mendoza.
Brady was at Mendoza’s last college game, FaceTimed him during the NFL combine, and was at the facility when Mendoza made his official top-30 visit with the Raiders.
He’s since made rare on-field appearances at Raiders practice, with photos capturing him on the field watching Mendoza.
Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko has called Brady “an unbelievable resource,” noting that the team can pick up the phone and call him at any moment.
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Kirk Cousins is expected to open 2026 as the starter while Mendoza continues to develop, but Brady’s relationship with Mendoza is already clearly strong.
Raider Nation has been waiting a long time for this kind of quarterback. Mendoza just gave them every reason to believe it’s finally here.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 4:01 PM.