{"id":48696,"date":"2026-04-07T19:36:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T23:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/heisman-winner-mendoza-to-skip-nfl-draft-event-watch-from-miami-home\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T19:36:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T23:36:39","slug":"heisman-winner-mendoza-to-skip-nfl-draft-event-watch-from-miami-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/heisman-winner-mendoza-to-skip-nfl-draft-event-watch-from-miami-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Heisman Winner Mendoza to Skip NFL Draft Event, Watch from Miami Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza plans to skip the official NFL draft ceremony in Pittsburgh, choosing instead to celebrate with loved ones in Miami when his name is called, according to a source familiar with the quarterback’s intentions.<\/p>

The source shared this information with The Associated Press Tuesday while requesting anonymity since Mendoza has not publicly announced his draft day plans.<\/p>

While the NFL draft begins April 23 in Pittsburgh, where most elite prospects gather to shake hands with Commissioner Roger Goodell on stage, some top selections opt to celebrate elsewhere. Recent first overall picks Trevor Lawrence in 2021 and defensive end Travon Walker in 2022 also chose to watch the proceedings remotely.<\/p>

Mendoza, who guided Indiana to a national championship after claiming college football’s most prestigious individual award, is widely anticipated to be the Raiders’ first selection. Las Vegas leadership has indicated they plan to gradually integrate the young quarterback into their starting rotation rather than rushing him onto the field immediately.<\/p>

The Raiders’ recent signing of veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins supports this approach, with Cousins likely taking the reins while Mendoza develops. Cousins has already arrived in Las Vegas to participate in the team’s offseason training program.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner projected as the top NFL draft pick, will skip the Pittsburgh draft ceremony to watch from Miami with loved ones. The quarterback is expected to be selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders on April 23.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":48695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[836],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775604999610.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-cFq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":56654,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/heisman-winner-fernando-mendoza-selected-first-overall-by-las-vegas-raiders\/","url_meta":{"origin":48696,"position":0},"title":"Heisman Winner Fernando Mendoza Selected First Overall by Las Vegas Raiders","author":"Admin","date":"April 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza expressed his excitement after being chosen as the top pick in Thursday's NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. The Heisman Trophy winner led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and national championship before entering the draft.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776997345887.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":55015,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/heisman-winner-mendoza-welcomes-long-nfl-draft-journey-ahead-of-thursday\/","url_meta":{"origin":48696,"position":1},"title":"Heisman Winner Mendoza Welcomes Long NFL Draft Journey Ahead of Thursday","author":"Admin","date":"April 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza says he's enjoyed the lengthy NFL draft preparation process leading up to Thursday night. The quarterback, expected to go first overall, has met with multiple teams including the Las Vegas Raiders and formed a new partnership with Pfizer for cancer screening awareness.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776711132916.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776711132916.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776711132916.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776711132916.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56311,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/nfl-draft-begins-tonight-in-pittsburgh-with-257-dreams-on-the-line\/","url_meta":{"origin":48696,"position":2},"title":"NFL Draft Begins Tonight in Pittsburgh with 257 Dreams on the Line","author":"Admin","date":"April 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night in Pittsburgh with 257 players hoping to hear their names called over three days. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to be the first pick by Las Vegas, though he'll celebrate at home with family instead of attending the event.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776948709122.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776948709122.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776948709122.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776948709122.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46003,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/heisman-winner-mendoza-shines-at-indiana-pro-day-ahead-of-nfl-draft\/","url_meta":{"origin":48696,"position":3},"title":"Heisman Winner Mendoza Shines at Indiana Pro Day Ahead of NFL Draft","author":"Admin","date":"April 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza delivered an outstanding performance at Indiana's pro day Wednesday, with all 32 NFL teams sending scouts to watch. The quarterback, expected to be the first overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, completed roughly 56 passes and showed up 11 pounds heavier than his college\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775086699392.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775086699392.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775086699392.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775086699392.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57191,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/heisman-winner-mendoza-eager-to-justify-top-nfl-draft-selection-with-raiders\/","url_meta":{"origin":48696,"position":4},"title":"Heisman Winner Mendoza Eager to Justify Top NFL Draft Selection with Raiders","author":"Admin","date":"April 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Former Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza was officially introduced by the Las Vegas Raiders after being selected first overall in the NFL draft. The quarterback has been preparing extensively for the transition to professional football and announced a $500,000 charitable fund to fight multiple sclerosis in honor\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777081092884.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777081092884.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777081092884.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777081092884.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45949,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/indiana-qb-mendoza-impresses-raiders-at-pro-day-workout\/","url_meta":{"origin":48696,"position":5},"title":"Indiana QB Mendoza Impresses Raiders at Pro Day Workout","author":"Admin","date":"April 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza showcased his NFL readiness at the Hoosiers' pro day, completing 53 of 56 throws in front of Las Vegas Raiders scouts. The Heisman Trophy winner has met with the Raiders multiple times and appears to be a top target for their upcoming draft pick.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775082086877.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}