Raiders fans will absolutely love Fernando Mendoza’s kind gesture

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Raiders fans will absolutely love Fernando Mendoza’s kind gesture

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Lorenzo J Reyna, ClutchPoints | Last updated May 16, 2026 4:21 PM ET

Fans won’t see Fernando Mendoza line up under the primetime NFL lights this season. But fans got to see a softer side of the incoming NFL and Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Saturday.

Mendoza threw the football and played catch with one fan during the league’s NFLPA Rookie Premiere event in Los Angeles. The fan dropped a pass Mendoza softly threw. However, Mendoza gave the fan a second chance to catch the ball and graciously lobbed it to the fan. Which shows that even the top pick of the 2026 NFL Draft is all about second chances.

Fernando Mendoza is all about second chances pic.twitter.com/qUIfaMrQAm

— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) May 16, 2026

Mendoza participated in the annual rookie event on the USC campus. He’s walking into a highly-anticipated transition to the league.

He’s the first quarterback leading the Klint Kubiak era in Sin City. The former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator takes over the head coaching reins for the Raiders. Kubiak is bringing his Super Bowl winning system over, including play action concepts tailored made for Mendoza to strike deep.

But that’s not all involving the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion QB. Mendoza joins a quarterback room featuring multiple Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins, leading some fans to believe Mendoza won’t be guaranteed to win the QB1 role. Although Mendoza and Cousins have developed quite the chemistry already, including recreating the famed film Step Brothers to announce the 2026 Raiders schedule.

Saturday proves that the new franchise quarterback for the Silver and Black will be classy toward fans in his NFL chapter. Now Raider Nation will hope he turns their team into a perennial AFC power again.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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