Everyone knows what’s going to happen on the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft. Fernando Mendoza will be the first pick, as the Las Vegas Raiders finally get the franchise quarterback they’ve needed for a while.
Bringing in Mendoza will start the clock on a new era of Raiders football. Tom Brady is going into his second full season as a part-owner of the franchise. John Spytek is doing the same as the team’s general manager. Head coach Klint Kubiak will take the reins for the first time this upcoming season.
Ultimately, the success of all of them will come down to whether the quarterback plays well. Last season, Geno Smith was among the worst quarterbacks in the league, and the team suffered greatly. The season ended with head coach Pete Carroll being fired, and Smith is likely on his way out now.
John Spytek says Tom Brady demands Raiders QB to prepare and play a certain way
Perhaps there was too much pressure on Smith. Some of that pressure may have been a result of Brady’s mere presence. Spytek recently spoke about Brady’s role in the organization, and he admitted that Brady’s greatness as a player puts more pressure on the team’s quarterbacks.
Any quarterback we have, there’s a different evaluation process, and really let’s call it pressure, that comes with having Tom in the building. He has an expectation for the way that position needs to be played. And what goes into playing that way: The process, the preparation, all of that way before the results. Whoever’s lined up behind center Week 1, there’s a little bit more pressure probably, because of who’s in our building.
Spytek also reveals that Brady is “involved in everything football-wise”. Brady and Spytek have a relationship from their time together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, they want to be a formidable duo in the Raiders’ front office.
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