Raiders rookie QB Fernando Mendoza can learn these 3 lessons from Tom Brady

Fernando Mendoza couldn’t have walked into a better situation with the Las Vegas Raiders. Not because they’re a team that’s a quarterback away, but because of the organizational structure itself. He has Tom Brady as part owner of the Raiders and has Kirk Cousins ahead of him, who can start and help with his transition to being an NFL quarterback. Both Cousins and Brady know what it’s like to have to wait out the starting job. 

Mendoza has already talked about how he’s willing to be patient and absorb everything he can in his first year, which is a good sign. That’s why learning from guys like Cousins and Brady in his first season makes his arrival in Las Vegas that much better. With Brady as a confidant, Mendoza should learn a lot from the seven-time Super Bowl champion. 

Patience will truly pay off for Fernando Mendoza

If there’s one thing Tom Brady knows, it’s patience. He was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL Draft and was a backup to Drew Bledsoe. Brady had to prove he deserved to be an NFL quarterback. He was nobody’s first choice, and yet he became one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the sport. For him, patience paid off; for Mendoza, that’s one thing he can take away from his rookie season if Cousins is named the Week 1 starter.

Before Mendoza took over Indiana, he was an afterthought at Cal. Just like he had to wait for the right opportunity to hit the transfer portal and land with Indiana.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Raiders to play Cousins over Mendoza to start the season. Cousins isn’t a terrible quarterback, and he can lessen the blow for Mendoza when he does make his first NFL start. When you look at the career trajectories of players like Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson compared to someone like Drake Maye, look at the difference in where they all are right now. 

Maye benefited from Jacoby Brissett starting his rookie season before taking over, and in year two, he went to the Super Bowl. Brady waited behind Bledsoe, and he turned into one of the greatest NFL players. That’s advice worth having in-house.

A winner’s mentality

Brady became one of the most feared quarterbacks to play against in crunch time. If there was time on the clock, Brady still had a chance. That’s something Mendoza could benefit from greatly as he progresses. Like Patrick Mahomes became feared playing in the clutch, so too can Mendoza, and learning from the quarterback with the most fourth-quarter comebacks in NFL history is certainly a bonus. 

Mendoza has already shown football fans he knows how to show up in the clutch in big game wins against Penn State on the road late in the regular season and then in the national championship game against Miami. He has a winner’s mentality already, Brady would simply be refining it. Mendoza has already said he’s open to learning, meaning even with all the success he has, he knows there’s so much more to learn. 

The Raiders aren’t in the best of situations right now. Having Brady to lean on when it comes to being a leader on a team and generating a winning culture won’t just be paramount for Mendoza, but the legacy he leaves in Las Vegas. The Raiders need a new face of the franchise, and Mendoza is that player for them. Having Brady as a mentor will make Mendoza and this organization better. 

Becoming a pre-snap read wizard

What made Brady such a good quarterback during his prime was the fact that he was a pre-snap wizard. He could dissect a defense before the ball was snapped, and that’s what made him such a dangerous quarterback to face. It helped him protect the ball really well and helped him become a magician in the pocket. Mendoza was pretty good in college about diagnosing defenses and not making a lot of mistakes. 

If you go back and look at games like Ohio State and even Miami, Mendoza had to deal with a little bit of adversity. Against Ohio State, it was going up against one of the best defenses in college football and against Miami, it was keeping pace in a high-stakes game. Mendoza checked every box in college, which is why he was the No. 1 overall pick. He’s ready to compete in the NFL now. 

That said, the speed of the NFL isn’t the same as college. Neither the SEC or the Big Ten can replicate that, which is why patience is important for Mendoza. This season should be about learning as much as he can from any and everybody within that organization; it helps that Brady happens to be one of those people.

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