Fernando Mendoza revealed that Tom Brady privately gave him advice as the Raiders' minority owner takes a hands-on mentorship role with the 2026 first overall pick during his NFL transition
17:59 ET, 23 Jun 2026
Fernando Mendoza explained what advice Tom Brady gave him
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Fernando Mendoza explained what advice Tom Brady gave him(Image: Getty)
Fernando Mendoza is only weeks into his NFL career, and he is already receiving a masterclass from the greatest quarterback to ever play the position.
The Las Vegas Raiders' first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft revealed that Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion who holds a minority ownership stake in the franchise, has been sharing private counsel with him as he makes the transition from college to the professional game.
Mendoza was careful about how much he disclosed, but shared enough to make clear that what Brady told him has already left a mark. It comes after Mendoza was forced to miss Raiders practice after skipping a White House visit in May.
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"I usually like to keep the talks between Tom and me private," Mendoza said in an interview with the Raiders' official YouTube channel. "But I do think what he said as a quarterback is you need to be the most everything.”
“You need to be the most competitive. You need to be the most leader — you have to have the most leadership. You need to be the toughest, mentally and physically. You've got to embody all these things and lead by example before getting the respect from your teammates, in order to lead effectively. That really resonated with me,” he explained.
Brady was selected in the sixth round, was a backup entering his second season and became the starter only when Drew Bledsoe was injured in 2001. He had to earn everything from nothing.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza at an introductory press conference
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Fernando Mendoza is among the frontrunners to win Offensive Rookie of the Year(Image: Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Mendoza arrives with a Heisman Trophy, a national championship with Indiana and the first overall pick, but Brady's lesson translates regardless of circumstance.
Mendoza had already been given a preview of Brady's approach during the pre-draft process. When he visited the Raiders for his official 30 visit, Brady told him directly what to expect.
"He gave me the message that he's going to push me, and he's not going to be all lovey-dovey," Mendoza recalled on The Dan Patrick Show. Brady made clear he intended to be a genuine mentor rather than a congratulatory presence.
Tom Brady officially became a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders in October 2024
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Tom Brady officially became a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders in October 2024(Image: Getty)
Whether Mendoza will be the one starting for Las Vegas in 2026 remains an open question. The Raiders signed veteran Kirk Cousins specifically to give Mendoza time to develop, and Brady himself is reportedly supportive of that approach, drawing on the parallel to his own Bledsoe situation.
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ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that the Raiders do not anticipate playing Mendoza before November, with the organization prioritizing the infrastructure around him before putting him in the fire.
That patience may ultimately serve both parties. Mendoza transferred to Indiana from California before his final college season, produced at an elite level and won everything available to him.
But the NFL presents a different kind of adjustment, and having Brady's guidance during that process is a resource few first overall picks have ever had access to.