(Image via Getty: Fernando Mendoza, Tom Brady, and Shedeur Sanders) The Las Vegas Raiders are searching for a rookie quarterback to join an impeccable team that features running back Ashton Jeanty, defensive end Maxx Crosby, tight end Brock Bowers, and 35-year-old signal-caller Geno Smith. They hold the first overall pick. And Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been in the praise books of part-owner Tom Brady for a long time now.The seven-time Super Bowl champion recently complimented the college football star again. “I’ve only seen him [Fernando Mendoza] [play] one game in person, the national championship. I watched a little of the Ohio State game. He’s an impressive young man,” said Brady on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Tom Brady reportedly chose Fernando Mendoza over Shedeur Sanders
“What do I really value? When I see him [Fernando Mendoza], and he talks about his teammates,” Brady said. “When he wins the Heisman Trophy, and he’s praising everybody else. That’s an endearing quality for a great leader.” That was about the college football field general.Now, for the Cleveland Browns playmaker. Let’s go back to when PharaohNFL [Digital Creator for the Las Vegas Raiders] tweeted: “Ohhhh okay now I know why the #Raiders & Tom Brady didn’t draft QB Shedeur Sanders” in Sept. 2025. A video was also shared with the tweet, where the NFL legend is heard saying, “I think that’s way more intimidating than a quarterback doing his six-shooter guns and pointing up in the crowd and doing all that other [—-] that’s very self-promotional, but it’s not about winning.” The “other thing” that’s more intimidating for Brady is: “When a quarterback throws a touchdown pass, I actually watch to see who he goes and celebrates with. Because what did I do? I looked for my offensive linemen every time. I went down and celebrated in the end zone with my teammates every time. I wanted everyone to feel like they were part of the success. I told the linemen, we’re all running into the end zone and we’re celebrating as a team.” It looks like the five-time Super Bowl MVP has finally found a quarterback for his franchise in the form of Fernando Mendoza. He is a “great leader” after all. However, Brady also listed other essential factors on SiriusXM.
Mental emotional part and work ethic
“Everybody will be able to throw the ball,” Brady said. “Can you run? All that stuff that’s really overhyped and overvalued because when you go on TV, they don’t know how to value these things. When you talk about the [NFL] Combine, the misevaluation through scouts and personnel people is rampant. You think they always make good choices? No, they don’t. So, I have to look at it [in terms of] how I value it and the things I’ve watched over time. What does my expertise show me? It shows that the mental-emotional part is the most sustainable trait throughout. If you find someone who has a mental and emotional baseline, and that ceiling is incredibly high, with a work ethic, you can improve a lot of physical skill sets. I don’t think this is just about quarterbacks; it’s about all positions. But again, it comes down to selecting the right people that fit your program and fit the values of what you’re trying to make the organization all about.”