Fernando Mendoza opens up about having Tom Brady as a boss with Raiders

Barring a shocking development, Indiana Hoosiers star quarterback Fernando Mendoza will soon have Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady as a boss once the Raiders make Mendoza the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft Thursday night. 

As ESPN's Adam Schefter and others have detailed, Mendoza idolized Brady long before the prospect became the top signal-caller in his draft class. During a Monday appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," Mendoza discussed what it will be like to play for the GOAT.

Fernando Mendoza is hyped to play for Tom Brady, Raiders

"It would mean the world," Mendoza acknowledged. "He stated that he's going to pour into whatever quarterback they take...it wouldn't be like how six-year-old Fernando envisioned it, you know, to be best friends, but it'd be cool." 

A recent story noted that Mendoza is already a Brady "disciple" who is familiar with the "TB12 Method" as it pertains to taking care of his body while off the football field. Meanwhile, Brady is widely expected to serve as a mentor for a young quarterback acquired by the Raiders during this year's draft. 

It's now no secret that quarterback will be Mendoza.

What Fernando Mendoza wants from boss Tom Brady

"I want to be pushed," Mendoza insisted regarding upcoming conversations he will have with Brady as an NFL rookie. "I want to be pushed to be the best quarterback that I can become."

Mendoza spoke with Brady via a FaceTime call during a meeting with Raiders front office members and coaches at the scouting combine. While that interaction was brief, Mendoza was left impressed. 

"He was on FaceTime for around 15 seconds at the combine interview, just saying, hello, good luck," Mendoza said about that quick chat with Brady. "And then he wished me the best. Not a lot of owners are at those combine meetings or even calling for those combine interviews. So to see the involvement that team has with its ownership from the top down is very invigorating and very exciting."

Mendoza won't have to wait much longer to experience speaking with Raiders ownership as an employee of the organization.