Maxx Crosby was almost not in the Las Vegas Raiders welcoming the new quarterback. But his trade deal with the Baltimore Ravens failed. And the defensive end stayed to watch his franchise pick Fernando Mendoza on Day 1. Now, the veteran has revealed his excitement.

Crosby shared how his interaction with the Indiana Hoosiers star went after the Raiders called out his name on draft day.

“We got Fernando. I've had the chance to have a great conversation with him. When he came on this visit, I got to chop it up with him a little bit,” Crosby said in the episode of his podcast The Rush, which was released on 29 April. 

According to a report by Caleb Gebrewold, Mendoza only had one scheduled Top 30 visit, which was with the Las Vegas Raiders. There, he also met with legendary QB and Raiders minority stakeholder Tom Brady. 

Crosby also shared that he has been in touch with Mendoza post-draft and is determined to mentor him.

“Then draft night, got to get on FaceTime and talk to him. And we've been texting back and forth ever since then," Crosby continued. "So I'm really fired up for him. Excited to take him under my wing and help him out, show him the way.”

Mendoza is coming off a historic NCAA campaign. He clinched the national title against the Miami Hurricanes in a 27-21 game and ended the season with a 16-0 record.

It was no secret that the Heisman Trophy winner would go as the No.1 overall pick to the Raiders. Crosby even called it “one of the worst-kept secrets in sports.”

No one would have predicted that Mendoza would stay at home for one of the biggest moments of his career. The 22-year-old was in Miami with his mother, Elsa, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and uses a wheelchair. 

Now, Crosby looks ahead to another season with the Raiders, but with a different QB. Since he was drafted in 2019 by the Oakland Raiders, the franchise has gone through 10 starters.

What makes this interesting is that the Raiders haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2021.

Now, whether that changes with Mendoza in the black-and-silver mix remains to be seen. But he is definitely looking forward to his upcoming season.

Fernando Mendoza Mirrors Crosby’s Excitement On His First Day

Mendoza flew to Las Vegas on 28 April to officially begin his career as a Raider.

In a conversation with Amber Theoharis, former Raiders receiver James Jones, and Hall of Fame cornerback Eric Allen, Mendoza raved about his franchise. 

“I'm just so blessed for the opportunity,” Mendoza said. “And it shows what a first-class organization this is, the support, whether it's the alumni, the coaching staff, the teammates, everyone that's reached out, I'm so happy to be a part of it.”

But Mendoza is not the only starter the Raiders brought in this year. They also signed veteran Kirk Cousins, who opined that the QB room “really got to be a working force together, we’re all helping each other.”

The Raiders are certainly looking out for Mendoza, who has many mentors to rely on. Under Cousins' mentorship and Tom Brady's watchful eye, many expect great things in the future.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote