The Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, hoping he’ll finally solve their long-running quarterback crisis. But before Mendoza takes a single snap, one of his new teammates is already trying to take the pressure off.
Punter AJ Cole, a four-time All-Pro, offered some candid advice to the rookie during a recent interview with ESPN’s Ryan McFadden. Cole’s message was simple: don’t try to be a hero.
“He doesn’t need to put the fate of the universe on his shoulders,” Cole said. “We don’t need him to be Superman. We just need him to be Fernando.”
It’s a refreshing dose of perspective inside a building that has seen its share of quarterback chaos. Since 2023 alone, the Raiders have cycled through Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew, Desmond Ridder, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett. The franchise hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2021, and its last postseason win came all the way back in the 2020 Wild Card round.
That revolving door is exactly why Las Vegas bet the house on Mendoza. He arrives with serious hardware: a Heisman Trophy and a national championship run at Indiana, where he threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. Those numbers scream franchise cornerstone. But Cole wants to make sure Mendoza doesn’t drown in expectation.
“I keep telling people [he] is whatever you think he’s like, that’s exactly what he’s like,” Cole added. “It’s not a bit. It’s not an act.”
The veteran punter’s vote of confidence speaks to Mendoza’s character as much as his arm strength. In an era where quarterbacks are often packaged and marketed as larger-than-life saviors, Cole is urging the rookie to just be himself.
Don’t expect Mendoza to walk into a starting job overnight, though. The Raiders also have Kirk Cousins on the roster, which means the team could ease Mendoza into the lineup. But whenever he does get thrown into the fire — whether in Week 1 or later — Cole’s directive is clear: don’t change a thing.
For a franchise that has been starved for stability under center, that message might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
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