Why Fernando Mendoza Reportedly Won't Attend 2026 NFL Draft amid Raiders, No. 1 Pick Rumors

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, will not be attending the event in Pittsburgh so he can remain at home in Miami and be with his family, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter reported Mendoza was scheduled to visit the Las Vegas Raiders, who hold the No. 1 overall pick, later Tuesday.

The Raiders haven't been shy about expressing an affinity for Mendoza during the pre-draft process.

"He's a winner, he's accurate, he's tall [and] intelligent," Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said at the league meetings last week, per ESPN's Ryan McFadden.

In fact, Mendoza is already learning the Kubiak playbook. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network reported that on Friday, March 28 while on the Pat McAfee Show (h/t Matt Holder of SB Nation).

"Fernando Mendoza is working with Brian Griese right now, and it's not so much that they're working on footwork," Jeremiah said. "They're installing the Raiders' offense. He's full speed ahead. This is the same thing that happened with [Joe] Burrow, where you can use this time to really try and learn the core verbiage and concepts along with an offense."

The Raiders traded 2025 QB1 Geno Smith to the New York Jets but added Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins on a contract worth $20 million guaranteed in 2026. Cousins, who will be 38 years old when the season starts, could very well the bridge that leads to Mendoza.

As far as the draft goes, seeing a No. 1 pick choose against attending the draft isn't unprecedented. The last time that happened was in 2021, when Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence watched the draft from his alma mater, Clemson, with family and friends.

Mendoza's decision to celebrate with family and friends is certainly understandable, but his stay there won't be for long as he'll assuredly be flying from Miami to Las Vegas shortly after his name is announced on Thursday, April 23.