Former teammate details if Tom Brady will embrace mentoring Fernando Mendoza

Retired center A.Q. Shipley shared a locker room with current Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady when the two were part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl LV in February 2021. 

Thus, Shipley somewhat understands the type of wisdom that Brady could hand down to a young quarterback such as presumed No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza.

During a recent chat with Vegas Insider contributor Kyle Odegard, Shipley was asked if Brady would embrace serving as a mentor for Mendoza.

Tom Brady will "bend over backwards" to help Fernando Mendoza

"I really do think so," Shipley responded. "Tom wants to win at all costs, more than anybody I’ve ever seen. So if his name is on the Raiders, he will do everything he can to help that organization. What does that entail? He’s only the smartest quarterback that’s ever played the game. So I think he would 100 percent bend over backwards to take on that role." 

Earlier this spring, first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak revealed that he reaches out to Brady "once every two days" to discuss football-related matters. Both Kubiak and Brady previously suggested that they would prefer for a rookie such as Mendoza to spend at least part of his debut season sitting behind a proven veteran.

Las Vegas signed 37-year-old Kirk Cousins. 

What Fernando Mendoza can quickly learn from Tom Brady

Long before Brady began his relationship with the Raiders and before he started serving as Fox's lead in-game analyst, he established himself as a seven-time Super Bowl champion and the GOAT of his profession. Mendoza may never fully match Brady's accomplishments, but the 22-year-old could pick up some useful pointers from TB12 as soon as during springtime workouts. 

"He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever been around, and when you watch his ability to prepare, his ability to see the game before it happens, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before," Shipley added about Brady. "When I watch that, there is so much stuff he can give to a young quarterback. I think he will love doing that."