The Raiders gave many hints to confirm that they will be selecting quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, with the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. This is important to fans because Mendoza could solve the Raiders quarterback struggles for a long period of time.
Mendoza finished the 2026 NCAA football season with 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 90.3 for the Indiana Hoosiers.
The head coach of the Hoosiers, Curt Cignetti, praises Mendoza for being competitive and having heart when it comes to the game of football.
“Fernando, I know he’s great in interviews and comes off as an All-American guy, but he has the heart of a lion when it comes to competition,” says Cignetti.
The Raiders signed quarterback, Kirk Cousins, from free agency on April 6, 2026 to a 5-year $172 million dollar contract. This move was made by the Raiders to teach Mendoza about the NFL as much as possible, and by bringing in a veteran quarterback, such as Cousins, Mendoza could learn as much as possible about the NFL.
The head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Raheem Morris, admires Cousins personality and character, which was part of the reason why the Falcons signed him.
“It was the whole reason, the purpose of being so adamant about having Kirk be a part of this football team. You’re talking about a great guy, a great human. A guy that we brought in here to be a starter,” says Morris.
The Raiders signed center, Tyler Linderbaum, from free agency on March 9, 2026 to a 3-year $81 million dollar contract. By signing Linderbaum, who is a top performer in his position, the Raiders hint that they’re setting up to draft Mendoza. Linderbaum could provide consistent snaps to Mendoza and overall improve the offensive line which could unlock Mendoza’s true potential.
The head coach of the Raiders, Klint Kubiak, explains that part of the reason on why he signed Linderbaum is because of the image and inspiration he could set for all of the players.
“Linderbaum plays the game the right way, and he’s going to be a role model that we want all players to emulate,” says Kubiak.
