Tom Brady is already teaching Raiders rookie Fernando Mendoza about becoming a great leader

Even before the Las Vegas Raiders officially made quarterback Fernando Mendoza the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, he revealed that he was excited to have Raiders minority owner Tom Brady as both a boss and a mentor. 

During a conversation with Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated, Mendoza discussed what he learned from Brady while taking part in a private brunch. 

Tom Brady is already teaching Fernando Mendoza how to be a leader

"The one biggest thing that I thought was awesome was when Tom talked about leadership and the two variables that you need to be a great leader," Mendoza explained. "One, care about your teammates, and second, care about the team’s goals. It’s not about being a Pro Bowler, being a star player. It’s about caring about your teammates, who they are and caring about winning, and the team’s ultimate goal, which is to win a championship."

It remains to be seen if Mendoza will be tasked with serving as the leader of the Las Vegas offense in September. It was previously assumed that veteran Kirk Cousins is guaranteed to start over Mendoza for Las Vegas' Week 1 home game versus the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13. However, first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak teased on Wednesday that Mendoza could receive an opportunity to compete for the QB1 job through at least the summer. 

What would Tom Brady think about Fernando Mendoza's hobbies?

Brady openly challenged Mendoza and other NFL rookies to find "things you're obsessed with" that "stimulate your head, your heart or your wallet." During their chat, Manzano asked Mendoza about the first-year pro's hobbies outside of football. 

"I’m pretty strict with my nutrition, but I love going to eat out on my diet with teammates," Mendoza responded. "That’s always fun. Pickleball is always another fun one to me. And then, I love watching movies, finding new movies. It’s always cool to see the different cultural aspects of movies that were filmed and produced in the ’80s to now the 2000s, and it’s a great way to experience different types of productions." 

The line about Mendoza's nutrition isn't surprising, as it was reported before the draft that he is "a TB12 disciple" who "read the book that explains Brady’s methodologies." In short, it sounds like Mendoza will continue to avoid certain foods that Brady considers "inflammatory" even on so-called "cheat days" as the 22-year-old prepares for his first pro season.