Fernando Mendoza Updates LinkedIn Bio, Stars in New Commercial After Raiders Draft Him No. 1

Fernando Mendoza celebrated his selection at the top of the 2026 NFL draft by updating his LinkedIn profile.

Mendoza posted a job update status after the Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the No. 1 pick on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

LinkedIn also shared a new ad featuring Mendoza on the first night of the draft.

Mendoza kept his LinkedIn updated late in his college career, including with a post celebrating Indiana's national championship win in January.

The quarterback wrote in his national championship post about the journey he'd taken from becoming a two-star recruit who didn't receive any Power 4 offers out of high school

He ultimately committed to Yale, then shifted to Cal and played two seasons for the Golden Bears before transferring to Indiana.

Mendoza then established himself as the top quarterback in the 2026 draft by leading the Hoosiers to a 16-0 season.

Mendoza's LinkedIn is his only public social media account, which led to Indiana running their campaign for him to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy through the career-building website.

His father, Fernando Sr., told The Athletic's Christopher Kamrani and Manny Navarro last December he considered his son's account "a great homage to his true self."

The Raiders will now hope that professionalism can help Mendoza develop quickly behind Kirk Cousins during his first season in the NFL.

Cousins signed with the Raiders in April on a one-year deal with an additional two-year option that NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported is "unlikely" to be picked up.

That could indicate the Raiders are hoping Mendoza will spent the 2026 season backing up Cousins before potentially taking over as starter the following season.

The Raiders haven't stuck with a starting quarterback in consecutive seasons since the end of the Derek Carr era ended after the 2022 campaign. The team will hope that is set to change in the near future now that Mendoza is headed to Las Vegas.