Tom Brady Praises Fernando Mendoza amid 2026 NFL Draft Rumors on Raiders' No. 1 Overall Pick

Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady had high praise for Fernando Mendoza after watching the quarterback lead Indiana to a national championship on Monday in Miami.

"He's played tremendous all season, 16-0, leading his team," Brady said about Mendoza around the 13-minute mark of Friday's episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd. "And again, he's another guy that, when you hear him speak— I always kind of judge quarterbacks and go, 'How would I have answered that?' He's just a very mature young man, and he's got a bright future."

Both Brady and Raiders majority owner Mark Davis attended Monday's national college championship game between Indiana and Miami.

The Raiders, who hold the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, are projected by Bleacher Report to draft Mendoza in April.

Brady could potentially play a role in what the Raiders ultimately decide to do with that pick. He reportedly influenced the franchise's decisions to both not pursue Sam Darnold and trade for Geno Smith last offseason, per The Athletic's Michael Silver and ESPN's Kalyn Kahler and Ryan McFadden.

Smith is currently under contract for next season, but given the Raiders' 3-14 finish to the 2025 season it seems likely the franchise will at least bring in someone to compete with him for the QB1 role in 2026.

Mendoza will be a likely choice if the Raiders decide to find their next starting quarterback at the top of the draft. Especially after Dante Moore's decision to return to Oregon, Mendoza will likely be the consensus highest-ranked quarterback on the board by the time the Raiders get on the clock this April in Pittsburgh.