Fernando Mendoza wasted no time capitalizing on his status as the No. 1 NFL Draft pick, appearing in a bizarre LinkedIn commercial less than an hour into his tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders. As expected, Mendoza was selected first overall by Tom Brady's Raiders on the opening night of this year's Draft, having established himself as the projected top pick after leading Indiana to the national championship in January.
Shortly after the NFL's worst-kept secret was confirmed in Pittsburgh, Las Vegas's new quarterback popped up in a LinkedIn advertisement that has been widely criticized by fans online. The commercial depicts Mendoza being interviewed at a post-Draft party, where a reporter asks how it feels to have 'just got the call.'
'It is such a blessing and, oop... sorry. One second,' the 22-year-old says before pulling out his phone. 'I need to post on LinkedIn.' Mendoza then types on his phone before turning it to the camera to show he has just posted on the professional networking platform. 'Boom, posted. Now it's official,' he adds as the commercial concludes.
While the ad was pre-recorded, Mendoza—an avid LinkedIn user—did publish the same post on his account after being drafted, reading: 'It's official. Grateful for the opportunity and ready to get to work!' However, fans were unimpressed with his 'cringey' TV appearance.
'Mendoza has been in the NFL for 45 minutes and he's already done one super corny cringey advertisement with LinkedIn. Man, how times have changed,' one user posted on X. Another fan brutally wrote: 'After the LinkedIn commercial, I hope Mendoza is a bust.' A third added: 'Mendoza hitting us with a cringe a** LinkedIn ad.' Yet another claimed: 'Fernando Mendoza and LinkedIn makes more sense than anything, ever.' One user joked: 'I've been off Twitter for a bit. I'll break my hiatus to say whoever created that Fernando Mendoza LinkedIn commercial should serve prison time.'
Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, had his name called first by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but he was not in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, instead spending the evening with his family in Coral Gables, Florida. His mother, Elsa, has multiple sclerosis, making travel difficult. Wild celebrations erupted inside the Mendoza family home as his name was announced on television, with many people partying in the garden.
After hugging every family member, Mendoza told ESPN: 'The last five months have been such a blessing by God. College was fantastic, now I step into a great game in the NFL. I look forward to earning and proving it every day.' Regarding the Raiders, he added: 'What a great organization, great legacy, so many great teammates, great owners. I'm ecstatic for the opportunity.'
When the broadcast cut to the Raiders' draft war room, there was no sign of Brady. The poised and polished Mendoza will now have the chance to learn from part-owner Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, but must first compete with Kirk Cousins for the starting spot after the veteran quarterback signed with the Raiders earlier this offseason.
