Fernando Mendoza is without doubt one of the most intriguing NFL tales that followers have watched in a very long time. A relatively unknown prospect with the California Golden Bears, he transferred to an upstart Indiana Hoosiers program for his remaining collegiate season and ended up profitable the Heisman Trophy and nationwide championship. He went from a stranger within the nationwide media to turning into one of many largest stars within the nation within the span of a 12 months, and now he hopes to convey that very same success to the professionals.
The Las Vegas Raiders chosen him with the primary choose within the 2026 NFL Draft, and the fan base was overjoyed to lastly have some hope for the longer term. Nevertheless, head coach Klint Kubiak made the choice to begin him off because the backup, and whereas he left the door open for Mendoza to push for the beginning job, he’ll probably be No. 2 on the depth chart.
This isn’t a shock, as minority proprietor Tom Brady has beforehand mentioned the plight of young quarterbacks and being thrown to the fireplace earlier than they’re really prepared. Mendoza confirmed a ton of promise within the Raiders’ first preseason recreation of the 12 months, however he additionally bolstered the necessity for him to take a seat and study for some time earlier than taking on the reins.
