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The Las Vegas Raiders look to be zeroing in on the head coach as Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Nonetheless, nothing is official there and even when the Raiders announce their next head coach, their attention then turns to the NFL Draft.
With the No. 1 overall pick, the Silver and Black have the opportunity to find their franchise QB as Fernando Mendoza is projected to go first. Mendoza had a passer rating of 182.9 with 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 16 games this season, per StatMuse.
Moreover, he went on to win the Heisman Trophy and lead the Indiana Hoosiers to the national title. Now, he’s set to go first overall, and Archie Manning shared his thoughts on Mendoza at the NFL level.
“Getting to know Fernando, recognizing his work ethic, recognizing his desire and what he wants to do, I think he’ll make a great transition to the next level,” Manning said (h/t Zach Osterman of the IndyStar). “… Y’all can see why we’re so excited about recognizing him.”
Fernando Mendoza Can Turn Raiders Around
The Raiders need a franchise QB, and they are in a prime position to select one in Mendoza. Moreover, if they need more convincing, along with what Manning said, former NFL signal-caller Jordan Palmer shared insight into Mendoza, with whom he has been in contact since the player was making the move to Cal.
“I know him very well and really came on my radar on his way to Cal,” Palmer said on the Jan. 26 edition of “The Jim Rome Show.” “Somebody tipped me off that this kid’s going to be really good… Look, the skill set, it doesn’t take you too long to go, ‘Alright, cool, NFL guy.‘ The skill set is what it is. He’s mobile, he makes every throw, he likes to throw on time.”
Furthermore, Palmer believes that Mendoza is the right guy to head into Las Vegas and turn their fortunes around after a 3-14 2025 season.
“I think uniquely about this is you got the Raiders, which whatever you want to say about the ownership and the decisions they make, then you add in Tom Brady, then you’re going to have a new coach,“ Palmer added.
“Plus, it’s Vegas and all the temptations and stuff that come with that. Plus, Raider Nation, which is a much bigger fan base than Indiana Hoosiers. I think he’s the perfect guy to come in here and play well and weather the storm.”
Tom Brady Under Pressure With Fernando Mendoza
With Tom Brady holding a minority ownership stake, mishandling Mendoza’s development would reflect poorly on a quarterback widely viewed as the greatest to ever play. Because of that, Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Fitz sees added pressure on Brady to help make sure Mendoza grows into Las Vegas’ long-term answer at the position.
“Tom Brady himself needs to make sure that the infrastructure is taking care of his quarterback, “ Fitz said on the Jan. 23 edition of “Yahoo Sports Daily.” “Tom Brady needs to make sure the person that knows what it takes for a quarterback to be surrounded with the right things needs to damn well make sure that the team he calls himself an owner of has that very infrastructure.
“If the Raiders don’t get it right with Fernando Mendoza, if they ruin Fernando Mendoza, not the other way around. If the Raiders ruin Fernando Mendoza, I’m looking squarely at you, Tom Brady.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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