Fernando Mendoza Hypes Tom Brady as GOAT QB amid Raiders, 2026 NFL Draft Rumors

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the clear favorite to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL draft, and he is looking forward to the possibility of getting to work with Raiders minority owner and legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady.

Speaking to reporters at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Mendoza said, "Yeah, I mean, who hasn't admired Tom Brady? More Super Bowl rings than anybody. So, that opportunity would be fantastic, Tom Brady, I believe, is the best quarterback of all time by a wide margin. And to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him, it would mean so much. Especially to learn, and I'm all about learning, so Day 1, I've got to learn a lot. It's going to be a long journey. And to potentially have a mentor like that would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful."

Seemingly every expectation among those in and around the NFL is that the Raiders will take Mendoza first overall in hopes of him becoming their much-needed franchise quarterback.

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"I was lucky enough to interview with the Las Vegas Raiders," Mendoza said. "It was a fantastic interview. Coaching staff was in there. We went over some of my previous plays and did plays on the board. I thought it was a great meeting.

"I know they have the No. 1 pick, but anything can happen in the draft. Excited for the opportunity and whatever team drafts me, I am going to give everything I got to them."

In an anonymous poll of eight NFL executives, coaches and players conducted by ESPN's Jeff Legwold, Jeremy Fowler and Roman Modrowski, all of them predicted that the Raiders will keep the No. 1 overall pick and use it on Mendoza.

Despite the likelihood of Mendoza going first overall, he acknowledged to reporters that nothing is guaranteed.

With that in mind, Mendoza noted that he will be "grateful" no matter who takes him, "whether it's the No. 1 pick or whether it's, you know, the 199th pick."

That line was a clear and obvious nod to Brady, who famously went 199th overall to the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft before establishing himself as arguably the greatest quarterback and player in NFL history.

Brady is the bar that all quarterbacks aspire to reach due to his record seven Super Bowl wins and five Super Bowl MVP awards.

The three-time NFL MVP is also the league's all-time leader in passing yardage (89,214), passing touchdowns (649) and completions (7,753).

Since retiring after 23 NFL seasons with the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady has become a broadcaster for the NFL on Fox, as well as part of the Raiders' ownership group.

Brady's first full season in the fold didn't go well, as the Raiders went 3-14, got poor play out of quarterback Geno Smith and fired head coach Pete Carroll after just one season on the job.

Things are starting to look up, though, following the hiring of Klint Kubiak as head coach after he helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl win as their offensive coordinator.

Mendoza is likely the next major piece to the puzzle, as he could quickly help the Raiders turn their fortunes around if he proves to be anywhere near as good as he was at Indiana.

The 22-year-old signal-caller won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and a national title last season, giving him a ton of momentum entering his NFL career.

That doesn't necessarily always translate to NFL success, but there is perhaps no one better to help guide him than Brady, who accomplished essentially everything possible during his legendary career.