Fernando Mendoza Talks 'Similarities' Between Raiders' Klint Kubiak, IU's Curt Cignetti

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza is still getting to know first-year head coach Klint Kubiak, but he's already used to his approach.

During an appearance on The Rush with Maxx Crosby, Mendoza explained how Kubiak's coaching compares to what he experienced in his final college season at Indiana under Curt Cignetti.

"You see the same similarities with coach Kubiak pushing and really making sure you're doing everything, rather than giving you a pat on the back, finding something to improve, because I have a lot to improve on," Mendoza said (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com).

Cignetti coached Mendoza to the 2025 Heisman Trophy as the Hoosiers went undefeated and won the national championship. Mendoza's draft stock skyrocketed over the season, and the Raiders selected him first overall. Las Vegas also signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, so the youngster won't be thrust into the starting role before he's ready.

Mendoza noted that "the attention to detail" is something that both Cignetti and Kubiak share.

"I think the example of, you know, in practice you'll have a good play," he said. "For example, you make a big completion, and you're looking forward to seeing it on film, and then both of those guys would be like, 'Come on, really? You took an extra hitch,' or 'Come on, instead of five yards you were at four and a half.' And you're like, 'What? I literally took the perfect footwork, perfect read, perfect throw, awesome explosive play.' And you're like, 'Bro, you got to give me a break, what's this guy talking about?' Then you see, especially with Cignetti, having spent a whole season with him, like when he's riding me on all these things in fall camp, I'm like, 'You've got to be kidding me,' and then the season you see it show up. And it's like OK, that pass was completed by this much because I was at the right depth or because I didn't take the extra hitch."

The 22-year-old added that both coaches treat the quarterback as an equal to the rest of the players on the team, which is how he approaches his position as the future face of the franchise.

"And then for my thing, one thing that I think coach Cignetti and coach Kubiak both preach in a way, is that everyone's equal," he said. "And how I see that as a quarterback is killing the ego. Making sure that no matter what success I had at Indiana or what future success or whatever expectation, there's no ego there. The only motivation is getting better."