The Las Vegas Raiders have the opportunity to select former Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in April. Moreover, Mendoza showed that he’s a student of the game after taking a lesson from Peyton Manning to heart.
With the Raiders having Tom Brady on board as a minority owner, there’s no doubt that the former NFL QB wants the Silver and Black to have someone under center who pays attention to the finer details that make a signal-caller great.
On Jan. 30, Mendoza spoke with Andrew Chernoff of WISH-TV News about the best piece of advice he received from Peyton Manning at the Manning Passing Academy.
“It was the first day we were there, we were doing play-action drills, and I was under center and we were throwing a hole shot, which is generally a pretty tough throw. I took my drop, did my fake, I threw it, strike. All the other quarterbacks like, ‘Let’s go, Fernando. Hey, good throw.’ And I’m just feeling good. I just threw a great ball in front of Peyton Manning. And he’s like, he rips into me, he’s like, ‘That’s the wrong footwork.’
“I think that the advice, especially with play-action, and how that translates to the NFL and how that translates to the Indiana offense, it always struck with me because it says, ‘Okay, yeah, you made a good throw, but the throw won’t be there, the defenders don’t come up and get attracted to the run.’ So that’s a really great story that I always can come back to about the details.”
Fernando Mendoza Understands the Fine Details
Moreover, Mendoza went on about the small details, such as being called out by Manning over the footwork despite completing the throw on the drill.
“You see how it’s really easy to be caught up in, ‘Oh, I can make a good throw,’ because at this point in the NFL, everyone can make the throws. It’s all about the fine details. And at that point, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s what makes the Mannings great,’ it’s the fine detail.
“After [Peyton] gave me advice on how to do the right footwork, and we talked through it and coached me phenomenally. But it really just goes back to how small the margin is and how efficient and how calculated you need to be to really be successful.”
Raiders Great Talks Fernando Mendoza
With Mendoza likely on his way to Las Vegas, Raiders players from the past are receiving questions regarding the QB many hope can be the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future. The latest to talk about Mendoza is former Raiders defensive lineman Reggie Kinlaw.
“[Mendoza] is a smart kid,“ Kinlaw told Vegas Sports Today in a video posted on Jan. 31. “I like the way he carries himself. He’s not cocky [and] he’s not one of those bougie looking guys or whatever. I know he reads defense pretty good. That’s the college level. You’re going to have to change that up when you get to the pros.
“He’s a little mobile. He’s 6-foot-5, so his running style kind of like a giraffe or something like that. But hey, as long as he can get you five yards. He loves the game. You can tell this kid loves the game. I think he’s one of those guys who watch film a lot, and he’s coachable.”
Raiders-Linked Fernando Mendoza Shares Big Peyton Manning Lesson