Rapper and business mogul Ice Cube is not thrilled by 2026 No.1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. In a recent interview, the founder of Big3 basketball league shared his opinion on the quarterback who is debuting in the NFL this season.  

“I always want to wait till I get on the field. You know, at the end of the day, everybody's hyped in the spring and in the summer, but till they put them helmets and pads on and it's live, we don't know,” he told Kay Adams, the host of Up & Adams Show. 

The entertainer is preparing for his league’s ninth season and as avid sports watcher he is sitting out on the Mendoza hype. 

“At some point, we got to be patient. We can't just, you know, give somebody a year or two and just throw them out year or two, hrow them out, year two, you know, at the end of the day, we got to stick uh with a game plan and and and see it through,” he said on June 16.

The Las Vegas Raiders picked Mendoza after his stunning undefeated 16-0 run with the Indiana Hoosiers in the 2025 season. 

The Athletic’s Sam Warren, reported on the 22-year-old Heisman awardee’s OTAs session this week. He shared that the 3,535 passing yards QB faltered in front of the first team defense.

“As expected with a step up in competition, Mendoza’s operation wasn’t as clean. He was less accurate than in prior practices, he threw behind a few receivers, resulting in deflections and incompletions. Miscommunications appeared to occur as well,” Warren reported on June 12. 

One of the most-talked about college players in the nation, it was widely cemented tha Mendoza was going to be the Raiders’ and a top 10 pick. The quarterback is taking over one of the most poorly performing teams in the league. 

Yet, he is training under the mentorship of Tom Brady, the most singular NFL quarterback. While Ice Cube is in no rush to praise Mendoza, the Raiders have revealed their impression of the rookie.

Las Vegas Raiders' Teammates Are Backing Fernando Mendoza Well

An ESPN article revealed what Fernando Mendoza's Las Vegas Raiders teammates think of him after the OTAs.

Wide receiver Ted Tucker commented on Mendoza's physicality and revealed that he did not anticipate the 6'4 Qb to this tall.

"I didn't realize how tall he was," Tucker said of the 225-pound signal-caller. "He's very tall, and he's big. That's really what you want for a guy like that. He's got a bright future."

The young QB is under pressure to perform well for this franchise, and his teammates understand that well. The franchise veteran Kirk Cousins, for that reason, and punter AJ Cole revealed what they expect from him.

"He doesn't need to put the fate of the universe on his shoulders," the All-Pro player said. "We don't need him to be Superman. We just need him to be Fernando."

His other teammates also stand firmly behind him and say he holds immense potential. As a rookie, his season could go either way, but his team is definitely hyping him up to face what lies ahead.

What is your take? Are you a part of the Mendoza hype train?

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar