The Las Vegas Raiders have not yet declared Fernando Mendoza their starting quarterback, but one of the NFL’s biggest trading-card brands is already presenting him as a face of the league.
Topps announced Monday that Mendoza will appear on the cover of its 2026 Topps Flagship Football set, scheduled to reach retailers on August 21. It will be the first flagship NFL product released by Topps since the company returned as the league’s exclusive licensed trading-card producer.
The selection gives Mendoza another prominent platform less than three months after the Raiders made the former Indiana quarterback the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
It also comes as Las Vegas prepares for a consequential training-camp decision involving Mendoza and 15th-year veteran Kirk Cousins. The Raiders are publicly building around Mendoza as their future, but Cousins gives head coach Klint Kubiak an experienced alternative if the rookie needs more time.
Look for on-card autographs, relics, Golden Mirror image variations, Rookie Cards of the entire 2026 NFL Draft class, and much more!
Fernando Mendoza Is Already Driving Collector Interest
Topps’ choice was not based solely on Mendoza’s draft position.
According to information provided by the company, a Topps NOW card released minutes after Las Vegas selected Mendoza generated a print run of more than 126,000 cards during its 48-hour sales window.
Topps NOW is a print-on-demand program designed to commemorate notable moments shortly after they happen. One collector also received a version Mendoza inscribed with “My 1st NFL Auto.”
That response offered an early indication that Mendoza’s appeal stretches beyond Raiders fans and Indiana supporters. The Heisman Trophy winner entered the NFL with a recognizable personal story, a national championship on his résumé and the expectations attached to being the first player drafted.
Mendoza has also developed his own interest in collecting.
Topps said the rookie owns the one-of-one 2025 Bowman Chrome Superfractor depicting him at Indiana. Mendoza acquired the card from an Indiana classmate in a trade involving tickets to the Hoosiers’ College Football Playoff games and a jersey.
He has begun leaning into his new NFL city, too. Mendoza recently signed another card with the inscription, “Viva Las Vegas.”
The cover assignment therefore feels less like an arbitrary endorsement and more like the continuation of a relationship between Mendoza and the hobby.
Topps Cover Reflects Raiders’ Investment in Mendoza
Topps is returning to licensed NFL cards after a decade away.
Fanatics Collectibles, the NFL and the NFL Players Association announced in April that Topps had become the official exclusive trading-card licensee for the league and its players. The agreement allows Topps to use NFL uniforms, team logos, names and other official marks.
Putting Mendoza on the flagship cover makes the Raiders rookie one of the central figures in that relaunch.
The honor carries a different kind of significance than winning a starting job, but it illustrates the commercial expectations surrounding him. Las Vegas did not use the No. 1 selection merely to add another young quarterback. The franchise chose Mendoza to become the long-term centerpiece of a team coming off a 3-14 season.
Mendoza also became the fifth Heisman Trophy winner drafted by the Raiders, following Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, Tim Brown and Charles Woodson.
Now comes the more important part: determining how soon he should play.
Kirk Cousins Gives Raiders Time to Make the Right Decision
The Raiders signed Cousins before drafting Mendoza, creating a quarterback room with both a veteran capable of starting immediately and the organization’s most important young player.
Cousins has pushed back on the idea that he joined Las Vegas solely to serve as Mendoza’s mentor. He described that label as “a bit of a reach” and characterized the relationship as part of a collective quarterback-room effort.
That does not necessarily indicate friction. It means Cousins still views himself as a competitor rather than an additional coach.
The arrangement could benefit the Raiders regardless of who starts Week 1. Mendoza can win the job by proving he is ready, while Cousins gives Kubiak an experienced option if the rookie needs additional work with NFL protections, timing and defensive recognition.
Las Vegas’ official roster preview described the combination as an “intriguing dynamic,” with Cousins supplying veteran experience and Mendoza arriving after leading Indiana to an undefeated season and national championship.
The Topps cover does not settle that competition.
It does, however, underline the difference between the Raiders’ short-term question and their long-term plan. Cousins may begin the season behind center. Mendoza is the quarterback Las Vegas expects to build around well beyond 2026.
Before taking his first NFL snap, he is already being marketed that way.
Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza Lands Major Topps News Before Kirk Cousins Competition