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(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for OBB Media – FANATICS STUDIOS)
The Las Vegas Raiders are in Year 1 of a full-blown rebuild. Now, they have used their cap space wisely to fill major needs on the squad and help them be competitive in the upcoming 2026 NFL season.
Moreover, if the Silver and Black draft former Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, the team will need to be patient with him as he goes through the ups and downs of a rookie learning the ropes in the NFL.
On March 21, Tom Brady was asked about the Raiders having a new head coach in Klint Kubiak and Maxx Crosby back in the fold after his failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens. Nonetheless, Brady opted to focus on the rebuild Las Vegas is undergoing to ensure long-term sustainable success.
“My career has allowed me to be around amazing people and mentors like Robert Kraft as an owner of a team, and now getting to work with Mark Davis in the role that I’m in, and to see the different ways things are done and how we’re evolving and growing,” Brady said (h/t Vic Tafur of The Athletic).
“We certainly have a long way to go. What I’ve learned about football in 23 seasons is that it takes a tremendous amount of resilience, adversity, discipline, determination, and communication from an entire organization to really see the value in committing to one another.
“So it’s always process over outcomes. We’re all trying, all of us in our own roles, whether it’s ownership, the personnel department, strength and conditioning, athletic training, or obviously players across offense and defense. Everyone’s got to come together, and everyone has to work incredibly hard for the people next to them.”
Fernando Mendoza Gets Clear Message Amid Raiders Speculation
If the Silver and Black end up drafting Mendoza, Jalen Nailor could be one of the receivers catching passes from the rookie quarterback. Before the draft, Nailor spoke about Mendoza as expectations continue to build around the 22-year-old as a potential long-term answer at quarterback for the Raiders.
“[Mendoza is] a football guy,” Nailor told Kay Adams on the March 19 edition of “Up & Adams.” “He’s a football player. He wants to win. The touch he has on his passes, those accurate passes that he makes, really pops out.
“He’s a mobile quarterback; he can get on the ground and run a little bit. Just to have those aspects of him as a quarterback, he’s tall as well, so seeing over the line won’t be an issue. He has all the things you want in a quarterback.”
Rich Gannon Talks Fernando Mendoza
Mendoza had a passer rating of 182.9 with 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 16 games in 2025, per StatMuse, leading to a Heisman Trophy and national title for the Hoosiers. It will be interesting to see if this production can translate over to the NFL.
With the draft drawing closer, former Raiders QB Rich Gannon shared his thoughts on the franchise selecting Mendoza and the traits he values in the player that will help him be the franchise signal caller in Las Vegas.
“[Mendoza] came on my radio show at the Super Bowl, and there’s one thing that you get an impression of a player and a person, “ Gannon told Raiders host Amber Theoharis in a March 16 video from the team’s YouTube channel. “He’s got presence about him. That’s pretty impressive.
“He’s very thoughtful [and] very mature; he doesn’t give you canned answers. He’s got a ton of energy and passion; he loves football [and] wants to learn. I think he’s got a lot of the qualities and intangibles that you really love with that position.”
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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