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HENDERSON, Nev. — When Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker first met his new teammate, Fernando Mendoza, the first thing he thought was that the former Indiana star quarterback was taller than he had anticipated.
“I didn’t realize how tall he was,” Tucker mentioned of the 6-foot-5, 225-pound signal-caller. “He’s very tall, and he’s big.”
But more than anything, Tucker was taken aback by Mendoza’s “elite” mentality. Mendoza was the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft and fresh off a stellar college football season, in which he won the Heisman Trophy and guided Indiana to its first national championship. Tucker, however, mentioned Mendoza came to the Raiders’ facility every day as if he were an undrafted rookie, hoping to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
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“That’s really what you want for a guy like that,” Tucker mentioned. “He’s got a bright future.”
Being the top pick and the future face of the franchise can be a heavy burden. But during the Raiders’ offseason workout program, Mendoza impressed his teammates and coaches with how he has handled the added weight on his shoulders, while displaying strong leadership qualities and relentless drive to be the best.
Even though Mendoza has made a strong impression on and off the field, the Raiders understand that he’s still in the early stages of his development and have no plans to speed up the process.
“He doesn’t need to put the fate of the universe on his shoulders,” All-Pro punter AJ Cole mentioned. “We don’t need him to be Superman. We just need him to be Fernando.”
Whenever Cole hung out with friends and family during the offseason, a specific question came up in conversations.
“‘Oh, what’s Fernando like? Oh, what’s he like?’ That’s like the question I’m getting, I’m fielding every weekend, essentially, from whoever I’m hanging out with,” Cole mentioned.
His answer remained the same. Cole mentioned Mendoza is authentic, genuine and extremely motivated.
“I keep telling people [he] is whatever you think he’s like, that’s exactly what he’s like,” Cole mentioned. “It’s not a bit. It’s not an act.”
Other Raiders players have made similar remarks about Mendoza. Tight end Brock Bowers mentioned Mendoza has been a great presence in the locker room and noticed that he has handled the transition from college to the pros well.
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby mentioned the team can feel Fernando Mendoza’s energy daily. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesRaiders defensive end Maxx Crosby mentioned the team can feel Mendoza’s energy daily. Meanwhile, center Tyler Linderbaum praised Mendoza’s willingness to learn and how he has been soaking up a ton of information in the meeting room and then translating it on the field.
“You can tell he wants to be great,” Linderbaum mentioned.
Wide receiver Jalen Nailor mentioned, “He’s very smart. … He’s always trying to pick somebody’s brain to improve.”
When assistant head coach Mike McCoy first met Mendoza at the scouting combine in February, he was impressed by the questions the Miami native asked. That has continued since Mendoza has been in the building.
McCoy mentioned he’s constantly pushing the coaches and other quarterbacks with his curiosity.
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“That’s the great thing,” McCoy mentioned. “And I think [offensive coordinator] Andrew [Janocko] and the rest of the offensive staff have done a great job because the first year is a challenge, not just for rookies, but for everybody. There’s so much information, and you’re installing a system for the long haul.”
Mendoza mentioned on draft night that he was starting at the bottom of the totem pole, and he wasn’t kidding. His practice reps during OTAs and mandatory minicamp reflected as such.
On the second OTA practice last month — the first open to reporters — Kirk Cousins and Aidan O’Connell shared a field with the other veterans during the walk-through period while Mendoza was on a different field with the other rookies.
As the Raiders transitioned into the team period, Cousins — a four-time Pro Bowl selection — was the first quarterback on the field, followed by O’Connell and Mendoza. That routine continued during each practice.
“There’s no magic wand where a guy can develop the type of skills necessary to be successful in the offense, particularly talking-under-center-type work or getting into a consistent rhythm and timing with your footwork,” Raiders quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan mentioned.
“… He’s still [learning] what to do, making sure he knows his job, and then we can start to take some of the next steps, but it’s a long road [and] a lot of work to do. We’re pleased with the work that he’s been putting into this point.”
Mendoza mentioned he’s “leaps and bounds” ahead of where he was at the beginning of May. But it hasn’t been easy. Similar to most rookies, he has had his good and bad days while trying to get acclimated to the next level.
“We’re pleased with the work that [Mendoza’s] been putting into this point,” Raiders quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan mentioned. Candice Ward-Imagn ImagesDuring the first day of minicamp, Mendoza’s accuracy was on point in team drills. He was getting the ball out quickly to his targets. The second day of minicamp, however, wasn’t as pretty. Playing against and alongside some of the projected first-team players, Mendoza avoided turnovers, but he wasn’t as efficient compared with the previous day.”It takes time, and everybody’s different,” mentioned McCoy, who has previously coached quarterbacks such as Trevor Lawrence, Cam Ward and Philip Rivers. “… I think the biggest adjustment, or one of the biggest adjustments besides the speed, is just the anticipation you have to play with at this level.”
Mendoza has impressed the coaches with his ability to make completions. Sullivan mentioned sometimes Mendoza’s footwork might not be right, or maybe his progression didn’t start in the correct spot, but he has kept his poise, not panicking while finding an open target.
But coaches say the biggest thing is how quickly Mendoza learns from his mistakes.
“He’s working his tail off. He’s gotten a ton better,” Raiders coach Klint Kubiak mentioned. “With anyone coming into the league, you’ve got to put the work into it, and he’s done that. … The things we’ve asked him to improve on, he’s been diligent at.”
The staff has noticed that Mendoza has adjusted to playing under center. McCoy mentioned Mendoza has received a ton of practice reps under center and has “done a phenomenal job” in doing so after he had spent the majority of his college career in shotgun formation.
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Sullivan mentioned that because most college quarterbacks don’t operate primarily under center, it takes time and repetition for it to become second nature.
“His approach as a player makes [the process] much smoother,” Sullivan mentioned. “He’s not concerned with anything outside of how he can push up and not pivot on his first step, [or] how he can have consistent timing in a certain pass concept.”
The Raiders are on their monthlong break ahead of training camp, and the question of when Mendoza will be named the team’s starter looms large. Kubiak has mentioned that the best player will play in the season opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13.
Despite Mendoza’s strides, Cousins was the best quarterback during the team’s spring practices. Kubiak mentioned Cousins has played well thus far, and they will be counting on him in the fall. Still, the Raiders won’t have a definitive answer at quarterback until training camp, when the pads come on.
For now, Mendoza is behind in the race. But that was to be expected at this time of the offseason.
“You get what you can out of this time of year, and then the real evaluation comes with those 11 practices before we play that first preseason game,” Kubiak mentioned.
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