INDIANAPOLIS — While speaking at the NFL’s annual scouting combine on Tuesday, Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek avoided mentioning Fernando Mendoza directly, but his quarterback wishlist painted a clear picture.
The traits Spytek outlined — humility, selflessness, dedication to studying the game, and leadership presence in the locker room — mirror exactly how college teammates described Mendoza throughout his Heisman Trophy campaign last season.
With Las Vegas holding the top selection in April’s NFL draft, targeting Mendoza appears to be the logical choice.
“It’s such a hard game, your competitive spirit has to run really high,” Spytek explained. “You’ve got to be willing to play through, you know, tough circumstances and to me, it always goes back to the love of the game. The guys that truly love football, they love to practice, they love to prepare, they love to watch film, they love to play hurt, so I think those things are kind of uncompromising.”
During his sole campaign at Indiana, Mendoza displayed exactly these qualities. His clutch final-minute touchdown pass secured victory against Penn State, he sat out just one snap in the Big Ten championship despite an early injury, and he fought his way into the end zone for the game-winning score in the national title game against Miami.
Such leadership could transform the Raiders, who have started 10 different quarterbacks across the last four seasons. The franchise hasn’t enjoyed stability at the position since releasing Derek Carr in February 2023.
Las Vegas hoped Geno Smith would provide the answer after acquiring him through a trade last offseason, but a devastating 10-game skid contributed to a dismal 3-14 record, casting doubt on Smith’s future with the organization.
The Raiders are now pursuing a complete rebuild. They dismissed head coach Pete Carroll and brought in Klint Kubiak, who served as offensive coordinator for Super Bowl champion Seattle, creating an opportunity to establish the ideal partnership with running back Ashton Jeanty, their previous first-round selection.
“I think you want to limit the amount of pressure you have on that guy from the start,” Spytek noted. “I’m not necessarily in favor of running him out there right away, either. So, you know, having another quality player that can play the quarterback position could help. You have a young quarterback, you want to have a great offensive line, a run game, all the things that can like really limit his chances to have him really get killed — and a great defense, too.”
The Raiders expect Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby to anchor their defensive unit, despite offseason trade rumors surrounding him. Spytek confirmed Tuesday that he maintains regular communication with Crosby during his rehabilitation at team facilities and anticipates seeing him in Raiders gear next season.
The question remains whether Mendoza will join him after leading what was historically the worst program in FBS to Indiana’s inaugural national championship in a season full of memorable moments.
Though Spytek indicated he’ll consider trade proposals and won’t prioritize need over talent evaluation, Mendoza appears tailor-made for Las Vegas — including his Massachusetts background and connection to Raiders co-owner Tom Brady, who starred for both New England and in Florida, where Mendoza played high school football.
“I think whoever is playing quarterback for the Raiders has a unique opportunity to learn from the best,” Spytek said. “You know, Tom’s got a lot of humility to him, and just because he did it a certain way, he doesn’t have expectations that you do it that way. too. But there are some things he’s uncompromising on, and I think that whoever the quarterback is for the Raiders, I think Tom is a great resource.”
