Roger Goodell watching #Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza answering questions: “This kid’s like a machine. He has all the right answers… but he’s a genuine kid. It’s real.”
(📹 ESPN’s “The Pick Is In”)
Getty
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had high praise for Raiders' quarterback Fernando Mendoza
The Las Vegas Raiders may have finished with the worst record in the NFL last season, but there’s reason for optimism when it comes to this team. Not only does this team have some exciting young playmakers on both sides of the ball, but they also presumably have their quarterback of the future after they selected Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mendoza may not start right away for Las Vegas, but there’s reason to believe that he can help turn his new team into a playoff contender down the line. Throughout the pre-draft process, Mendoza was widely regarded as the top quarterback prospect in his draft class, and not only did he make a strong impression on teams across the NFL, but he also stood out in the eyes of the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell.
Roger Goodell watching #Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza answering questions: “This kid’s like a machine. He has all the right answers… but he’s a genuine kid. It’s real.”
(📹 ESPN’s “The Pick Is In”)
After the Raiders’ Geno Smith experiment blew up in spectacular fashion last year, the team entered the draft knowing it would need a new quarterback. Mendoza was the top option available, and with Las Vegas owning the No. 1 overall pick, it was common knowledge throughout the league for months that he would be the first player off the board.
Mendoza is a bit of a complicated prospect to rank, due in large part to the fact that there wasn’t really another top-tier quarterback prospect alongside him in this draft class. In 2025, Mendoza was dominant for the Indiana Hoosiers (273/379, 3,535 YDS, 41 TD, 6 INT, 90 CAR, 276 YDS, 7 TD), leading his team to a National Championship, while also winning the Heisman Trophy, too. If he were in another draft class, though, he probably wouldn’t have been the first QB selected.
Off the field, Mendoza’s relentlessly upbeat personality has also drawn some attention. And yet, despite all the questions surrounding him, he continues to receive rave reviews across the board. That includes from Goodell, as he gushed over Mendoza’s character and makeup shortly after he was selected by the Raiders.
“This kid’s like a machine,” Goodell said in ESPN’s “The Pick Is In” documentary. “He has all the right answers … but he’s a genuine kid. It’s real.”
HENDERSON, NEVADA – MAY 02: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders attends a news conference after the team’s rookie minicamp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on May 02, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
Las Vegas has struggled to properly replace Derek Carr since he departed from the team in the wake of the 2022 campaign. The hope is that Mendoza can come in and be the team’s franchise quarterback, and while that is setting the bar very high for the former Indiana star, there’s a reason why he was selected with the first overall pick in the draft.
Time will tell whether or not Mendoza will succeed in the NFL, but so far, he’s saying all the right things. It looks like Kirk Cousins, who was signed in free agency, will begin the year as the team’s starting quarterback, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Mendoza make his pro debut at some point in the upcoming 2026 campaign, whether it be in relief of Cousins or as a starter.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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