By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jul 8, 2026 8:26 AM ET
Howdy, Roy Akers
Throughout the spring, Las Vegas Raiders star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby made it known that he is taking rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza under his wing.
On the latest edition of his “The Rush With Maxx Crosby” podcast, he had Mendoza as a guest and used that chat as an opportunity to publicly share some advice for the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Raiders want to see “genuine” Fernando Mendoza
“If you’re not genuine, guys pick up on that real quick, because college is different,” Crosby told Mendoza, per Eduardo Razo of Heavy. “You’re growing as a man. You’re trying to figure out who you are and evolve as a leader, and you’re still going to school. You’re just trying to figure out life and how to operate. But once you get to the league, everyone’s a grown man. Dudes have full families. They have different types of motivations, and everyone’s coming from a different walk of life. So being genuine, you’ll never go wrong. And trust me, I’m a little weird too. I do a lot of s—. I’m not saying you’re weird, but I’m off the wall sometimes, and I’ll say some s—.”
Per multiple reports, the Raiders feel no need to “rush” Mendoza’s development, as he is currently sharing the team’s locker room with veteran Kirk Cousins. The perception exists that it is a matter of when and not if first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak will name Cousins the team’s Week 1 QB1, meaning Mendoza should be able to continue learning about life in the NFL without having to immediately worry about facing live defenses.
Maxx Crosby to Fernando Mendoza: Leaders just lead
Regardless of the rumors that continue to pop up this summer, there remains no real indication that the Raiders will trade Crosby before the upcoming season gets underway. Thus, Mendoza should continue to have Crosby as a mentor for the foreseeable future.
“You never want to be a toned-down version of yourself,” Crosby also told Mendoza. “And you never want to be over the top trying to prove, ‘I’m the funny guy in the room’ or ‘I’m the greatest leader anybody could be.’ Leaders just lead, and good people are just good people. Guys gravitate toward that. So, the people giving you that advice, they’re 100 percent spot on. Kirk and all the people who have mentioned that as well, it’s spot on.”
Eventually, Mendoza will be tasked with serving as a leader for the Raiders. Listening to Crosby and others could help Mendoza be as prepared as possible for when that moment arrives.
