Fernando Mendoza made plenty of history during his lone season with the Indiana Hoosiers. Among that included becoming the first Hoosier to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft since Corbett Davis in 1938.
Mendoza joins a Las Vegas Raiders franchise entering a new era under head coach Klint Kubiak. The Heisman Trophy quarterback has already been making quite the impression with his new team, and he seems poised to handle the starting job at some point this season.
But before that can happen, Mendoza needed to get one thing done first: officially sign his rookie contract. That task can now be checked off his to-do list.
Fernando Mendoza officialy signs rookie contract with Las Vegas Raiders
Mendoza's contract is for four years and worth $57.27 million in total. All of that is fully guaranteed. Furthermore, the Raiders have a 5th-year team option attached to the contract as well. Thus, Mendoza is set to earn roughly $14.32 million per year through the 2029 season, and the Raiders could opt to keep him on the roster through the 2030 season.
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Not surprisingly, there will be no holdout drama with Mendoza. Hoosier fans know Mendoza's character well, and creating an off-the-field distraction with a contract holdout is probably the last thing Mendoza wanted to do heading into his rookie season in the NFL. With the development, Raiders and Indiana fans alike can breathe a sigh of relief.
Raiders paving the way for Mendoza to be their franchise QB
It's clear the Raiders are building their franchise around Mendoza. Along with bringing in offensive guru Klint Kubiak as the franchise's next head coach, the Raiders also made a plethora of noteworthy offseason moves to bolster their roster.
Offensively, the Raiders brought in C Tyler Linderbaum, WR Jalen Naylor, and QB Kirk Cousins. Cousins, a 14-year NFL veteran, could be the perfect mentor for Mendoza as he begins his NFL career. It remains to be seen who will be the Week 1 starter, as an intriguing QB battle is likely already in the works. Linderbaum is one of the best centers in the entire NFL, and his addition helps shore things up in the trenches for a Las Vegas offensive line that was among the worst in the NFL last season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Las Vegas signed LB Quay Walker, LB Nakobe Dean, DE Kwity Paye, CB Eric Stokes, and DE Malcolm Koonce, while also trading for CB Taron Johnson. In total, Las Vegas' aggressive approach to the offseason makes them a team to keep an eye on in the AFC.
Along with his elite off-the-field intangibles, Mendoza possesses an elite football IQ, pin-point accuracy, strong athleticism, and NFL-ready frame at 6'5" 230 pounds. After delivering Indiana its first-ever National Championship, Mendoza is in a good position to make an immediate impact in the NFL when the season starts up in a few months.
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