RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza hasn’t had his “Welcome to the NFL” moment on the field yet.
However, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft definitely appeared to realize that he wasn’t playing college football anymore upon getting to use the Raiders’ practice facility.
“This facility’s so great. The weight room… They have a flippin’ pool!” Mendoza told The Athletic’s Michael Silver . “This is like a resort. There are three meals a day; the chefs here are amazing. There’s so much stuff to do here!”
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti might not be thrilled with his former quarterback making it sound as if the Hoosiers don’t have state-of-the-art facilities in Bloomington. Presumably, their training complex doesn’t have a waterfall like Alabama’s facility or an indoor golf course as Clemson’s does. Perhaps that will change after Indiana won the national championship and dollars continue to roll into Bloomington.
Fernando Mendoza, under center. #RaiderNation #Raiders pic.twitter.com/8fdLyXx9Np
— Taylor Rocha (@TaylorRochaTV) May 2, 2026
However, the Raiders could be just fine with Mendoza being so impressed with their facility that he wants to hang out there all the time. Better there than late nights on the Vegas strip, perhaps.
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Anyone worried that someone as seemingly wholesome as Mendoza was as he became a nationally known figure during Indiana’s national title run would become corrupted by Sin City can relax. It doesn’t appear that there’s anything to worry about in that regard.
“Las Vegas is one of the entertainment capitals of the world,” Mendoza said to Silver . “But I have a job to do, and it’s football.”
“I don’t have anybody that really relies on me, if that makes sense, so I can just be psycho about football,” he added. “And then every once in a while, on an off day or night, I can go out to a movie and watch ‘Spider-Man’ or ‘The Odyssey’ or something.”
Mendoza being so wide-eyed and awestruck about the resources available to him in the NFL might compel some skepticism among those who wonder if his nice guy act is genuine. Especially when he says things like “ The playbook is my girlfriend ” in response to questions about his current dating life. He grew up in Miami, after all.
Yet this is also presumably a major reason why the Raiders selected Mendoza No. 1 overall, looking to him as a future face of the franchise. It’s not just about whether or not he can throw a 40-yard laser on a deep out route or know when to step up in the pocket to elude a pass rusher.
The Raiders wanted someone who would revolve his entire existence around football, even in the face of the myriad temptations — or “degenerative activities,” as Mendoza calls them — that Las Vegas offers. Someone insular enough to be impressed by an in-house swimming pool and getting three meals a day is part of the package.
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