Fernando Mendoza hasn’t taken a snap for the Raiders yet, but the rookie quarterback is already saying the kind of things that will play well in Las Vegas.
Mendoza, the former Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion quarterback, is being treated as the future of the franchise. That’s the expectation after a career that made him one of the most highly regarded quarterback prospects of the last several years, and the Raiders made sure to back that up with a major offseason push.
The biggest move of all may have been the addition of center Tyler Linderbaum on a three-year, $81 million deal, which made him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in league history. The former Baltimore Raven is now set to be a long-term protector for Mendoza, and the rookie clearly already values what that partnership can become.
On a recent episode of The Rush Podcast with Maxx Crosby, Mendoza opened up about his early connection with Linderbaum.
"He's the man. I mean, there's no other way to put it," Mendoza said.
"I love him. He's the man.
We both were living at the hotel for the OTAs because he was, you know, still moving into his house. And we got to spend a lot of time together.
We went out to eat a couple of times."
Mendoza also made it clear he understands how much the quarterback-center bond matters, especially with a veteran like Linderbaum handling the traffic up front.
"That correlation between the center and quarterback is so important because getting on the same page, and especially have a veteran center like him, who knows when the blitz is coming, who knows all this veteran intellect that he understands, that he could then relay to me is so important."
"So, I'm always just trying to pick his brain. 'Hey, what are you seeing here?'
'Hey, how can we call this production call?' And even though in the moment, I might not be calling it, it's really important for me to understand the 'why' behind it."
For now, the Raiders are taking the patient route with Mendoza. General manager John Spytek and new head coach Klint Kubiak have both been clear that they want to give him time to settle in before he’s thrown into the fire, so there’s no guarantee he sees the field during his rookie season.
Even so, Mendoza and Linderbaum stand out as the two defining additions of the Raiders’ offseason. Together, they’re expected to help shape a new look and a new standard for a franchise trying to build something different over the next several years.
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