For a rookie QB, what's a better way to start your career than to kick things off with Tom Brady? Well, Fernando Mendoza appeared on the Today Show after he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft and spoke about potentially being signed by Brady's Raiders.

"We’ll see. I’ll be blessed to play anywhere. And the No.1 pick is a great blessing but any pick is fantastic. You only need one to believe in you and whoever believes in me, I’m gonna give them my most. The Raiders have a great culture, have a great coaching staff, great ownership group. It’s all around. Those are legit guys. I’d be happy to end anywhere,

Thanks to their abysmal 3-14 performance, the Raiders have the first pick for the 2026 NFL Draft. Their obvious weakness was in the QB spot, where Geno Smith finished the season with just 3,025 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Mendoza could be the spark the team needs. In a season that had 3535 yards and 41 touchdowns, the young QB led his team to the national championship. In fact, Brady was even present to watch the Heisman winner play the final game.

“He played tremendously all season, 16-0, leading his team… He’s just a very mature young man, he’s got a bright future,” Brady said in his appearance on The Herd. "And again, he’s another guy that, you know, when you hear him speak, I always kind of judge quarterbacks. I go, ‘How would I have answered that?’

However, Tom Brady Has Made It Clear That Fernando Mendoza Has a Long Way to Go

After all, he was a 199th pick in the draft. That's why he sent a message to all players in the draft.

"I don’t care whether you’ve won the Heisman or 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?"

The Raiders haven’t had the opportunity to draft another quarterback after JaMarcus Russell in 2007. They brought in Geno Smith, who failed to deliver. A starting quarterback like Mendoza could change the Raiders’ trajectory.

Do you think the Raiders will clean up and win with Mendoza on their roster? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar