Fernando Mendoza and Indiana’s recent victory in the Rose Bowl has fans and media ecstatic. However, no one seems more fascinated by the Hoosiers quarterback’s dominant run than Tom Brady himself.
Winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy appears to have been just the first step for Mendoza on his path to stardom. His drive for the national championship has brought him into the spotlight.
As if that weren’t enough, Indiana’s resounding 38-3 victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl cemented his status as the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with all that entails.
While Mendoza focuses on the Peach Bowl, where he’ll face the Oregon Ducks, Brady seems to have his eye on him, not as an analyst, but in his capacity as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Will Brady bring Mendoza to the Raiders?
In recent comments to Fox Sports, the seven-time Super Bowl champion didn’t hold back in his praise for Mendoza. “I love everything about his game,” Brady said.
“His leadership is what stands out to me, his relatability to his teammates. He’s overcome a lot in his career,” Brady said, recalling Mendoza’s trajectory.
“He’s a Miami kid, went to Cal, to Indiana. You go to a program that has won anything, in forever, and what he’s done this season is so impressive,”Brady recalled.
Beyond his clear admiration for the young signal-caller, many interpreted Brady’s statements as a clear indication that Mendoza’s future lies in Las Vegas.
Who will get the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
With Week 18, the final week of the season, still to be played, the Las Vegas Raiders hold the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. However, everything hinges on their performance this Sunday.
If the Raiders lose to the Kansas City Chiefs, they would finish with the worst record of the season. But if they win, and this is combined with a New York Giants loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants would jump ahead of them in the draft order.
However, the Giants appear to have found their franchise quarterback in rookie Jaxson Dart, so they might pass on Mendoza, leaving the field open for Brady’s Raiders to land the top prospect in the Class of 2026.
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