Fernando Mendoza may not be participating in throwing drills at the ongoing NFL scouting combine, but the Heisman Trophy winner still managed to create a significant buzz in Indianapolis this week. His highlight moment came not on the field, but during a phone conversation with legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
A Special Connection with a Legend
With the Las Vegas Raiders holding the coveted first-overall pick in April's NFL Draft, the team's minority owner Brady initiated a phone call with Mendoza, who is widely considered the obvious choice for that top selection. The interaction occurred as Mendoza walked in for his formal interview with the Raiders organization.
'That was very special to me,' Mendoza told reporters about the unexpected conversation. 'I mean, who hasn't admired Tom Brady? He was the greatest quarterback of all time by a wide margin, and to potentially have the opportunity to be mentored by him would mean so much.'
Raiders' Quarterback Conundrum
The 22-year-old quarterback led Indiana University to its first national championship last season, compiling a perfect 16-0 record while throwing for 3,535 yards with an FBS-best 41 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. His remarkable campaign included a game-winning throw to defeat Penn State and a heroic quarterback sneak for the decisive score against Miami in the national title game.
Meanwhile, the Raiders finished at the bottom of the NFL with a dismal 3-14 record, creating intense speculation about their draft strategy. Many Las Vegas fans have become enamored with Mendoza's collegiate success and are now urging general manager John Spytek to select him with that first pick.
'That opportunity would be fantastic,' Mendoza said about potentially playing in Las Vegas. 'And especially to learn - I'm all about learning. So from day one, I got to learn a lot. It's going to be a long journey. And to potentially have a mentor like that, it'd be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful.'
Alternative Options on the Table
Despite Mendoza's enthusiasm, the Raiders have not declared their intentions ahead of the draft and could opt for a completely different strategy. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, there's growing speculation that the team might trade the first-overall pick for an established veteran passer.
'There's a feeling out there that the Raiders are going to make a play for Lamar - offer the first-overall pick in the draft for Lamar Jackson,' Florio reported in January.
Jackson, the two-time NFL MVP and 2016 Heisman Trophy recipient from Louisville, is coming off a disappointing season with the Baltimore Ravens, who missed the playoffs at 8-9 and recently fired long-time head coach John Harbaugh. Despite battling injuries and inconsistency in 2025, the 29-year-old quarterback is still regarded as one of the league's premier passers.
Scouting Concerns and Comparisons
Not everyone is convinced Mendoza represents the best option for the Raiders. ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky has expressed reservations after reviewing extensive game tape.
'I'm through eight games now, and through eight games, you see good, but there's a lot of underwhelming footage,' Orlovsky said Thursday. 'There's not a ton of big-time throws.'
Orlovsky noted that Mendoza benefited from having 'clean pockets' to throw from while winning the national championship at Indiana last season. However, he observed that Mendoza still gets 'spooked with his feet and becomes a runner unnecessarily' whenever he faces pressure.
Perhaps more surprisingly, Orlovsky suggested that Alabama's Ty Simpson actually looks better on film than Mendoza.
'I think through eight games, Ty Simpson's tape at Alabama is significantly more impressive than Fernando Mendoza's,' the former Detroit Lions quarterback stated.
Simpson went 11-4 with Alabama before losing to Mendoza's Hoosiers in the second round of the College Football Playoff, adding another layer to this quarterback evaluation debate.
Organizational Philosophy
Neither Brady nor Spytek, who were college teammates at Michigan, have revealed their preferences regarding Mendoza. However, Spytek did outline the traits he values in a franchise quarterback while speaking to reporters in Indianapolis this week.
'It's such a hard game, your competitive spirit has to run really high,' Spytek explained. 'You've got to be willing to play through tough circumstances, and to me, it always goes back to the love of the game. The guys that truly love football, they love to practice, they love to prepare, they love to watch film, they love to play hurt, so I think those things are kind of uncompromising.'
Mendoza certainly appears to fit this philosophical mold based on his 2025 campaign, which demonstrated both physical talent and mental toughness under pressure.
Franchise Transformation
Since the conclusion of their disappointing 2025 season, the Raiders have undergone significant organizational changes. The team fired head coach Pete Carroll and replaced him with Klint Kubiak, formerly the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.
Mendoza described his interview with Kubiak and the coaching staff as 'fantastic,' noting that they reviewed some of his previous plays and drew up schemes on the board during their meeting.
The Raiders now have an opportunity to pair running back Ashton Jeanty, last year's first-round selection, with a potential franchise quarterback. Whether that quarterback will be Mendoza, Jackson via trade, or another option remains one of the most intriguing questions as the NFL Draft approaches.
As the evaluation process continues, Mendoza's special phone call with Tom Brady has undoubtedly added an emotional dimension to what promises to be a consequential decision for the Las Vegas Raiders organization and their passionate fan base.
