Getty
HENDERSON, NEVADA - APRIL 24: Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected yesterday by the Las Vegas Raiders as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, attends a news conference at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on April 24, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
There’s a lot to be excited about Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but perhaps the most impressive news from this offseason isn’t about his abilities on the field, but off the field.
Rather than just getting to learn more about the offensive system and scheme the Raiders want to implement, Mendoza is taking it up a notch, asking questions that have the coaching staff evaluating everything.
“He’s asking questions that you might not have thought about in a couple of years,” Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said in a recent interview. “It also makes you evaluate everything. ‘I know we’ve had some success doing it one way, but we could do it another way and be even better.'”
That said, two-time MVP award winner and Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner took some time to send some praise to Mendoza in response to him being more than just a sponge this offseason.
GettyFormer NFL player Kurt Warner looks on prior to the start of Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.
Kurt Warner took to X to share a story of Fernando Mendoza’s growth as an individual and how asking why, rather than just listening, can go a long way in the NFL.
“I LOVE this! When FM was training at my house years ago this was my biggest message to him & all the other QBs here: Take Ownership of Your Offense! Always ask the WHY, challenge everything (in a good way) & when doing it, you always have to have the knowledge to back it up or it carries no weight!
Very few QBs have the conviction to do this, afraid to step on toes & offend their coach or never gain the knowledge needed! There is only ONE person with ball in their hands when it matters, so you better be comfortable with what you are being asked to do!
I also believe that any GOOD coach would want to talk about the WHY as much as possible & would welcome the challenge to DEFEND their WHY or find a BETTER way of doing something!”
Raiders OC Andrew Janocko on Fernando Mendoza:
“He’s really just a sponge that wants to know everything. It’s a lot of fun working with a QB like that because he’s coming in as a blank slate in this offense and just asking a ton of questions. It makes you evaluate everything.”
The question of whether Fernando Mendoza will even start this season shouldn’t be the main concern of the fans. The main concern should be whether Mendoza continues to develop as both a player and a person, even if that means he’s not starting games as a rookie.
His time will come, and when it does, the Raiders have all the faith in the world that he’ll be successful. But success takes time, especially with a rookie quarterback.
There will be bumps along the way, but what’s important is that Las Vegas doesn’t screw up this golden opportunity with Mendoza. Guys like Kurt Warner and Tom Brady weren’t superstar QBs right off the bat, but they had the right mindset and worked hard at becoming superstars in the NFL.
The hope is that Mendoza continues on the right path and will become the superstar QB the city of Las Vegas expects him to be.
Isaac Zuniga is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders. More about Isaac Zuniga
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。
