Las Vegas Raiders fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and now they have even more reason to believe in his development. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby recently sat down with Mendoza on his podcast, The Rush, and delivered some straight-talking wisdom that every young player needs to hear.
During the episode, Crosby urged Mendoza to stay authentic—no matter what. The seven-year veteran explained that in college, players are still figuring out life and leadership while juggling classes. But the NFL is a different beast entirely.
“Once you get to the league, everyone’s grown men,” Crosby said. “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.”
Crosby didn’t hold back on his own quirks either. “I’m a little weird too. I do a lot of (expletive). I’m not saying you’re weird, but I’m off the wall sometimes, and I’ll say some (expletive).” The message was clear: if you pretend to be someone you’re not, teammates and opponents will sniff it out fast.
Fans have already started calling for Crosby to become a mentor for Mendoza. “Maxx take this young man under your wings he is going to bring the Raiders back to the promise land. RN4L,” one fan posted. Others are eager to see Mendoza on the field immediately: “I don’t wanna wait. I don’t wanna redshirt. I think Fernando is ready. Let’s go.”
Mendoza arrives in Vegas carrying enormous expectations. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft—the first Raiders first-overall selection since JaMarcus Russell. But there’s hope this story ends differently. Last season at Indiana, Mendoza led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 national championship season and won the Heisman Trophy. History is on his side: the last seven Heisman-winning quarterbacks have all transitioned smoothly to the NFL.
With Crosby’s veteran guidance and Mendoza’s own talent, the Raiders might finally have the quarterback they’ve been searching for. As Crosby put it, staying genuine is the key—and that advice might just help Mendoza forge his own path in the Silver and Black.
For more on Mendoza’s journey, check out his decision to skip an Indiana NIL donation to focus on his Raiders career and a charity close to his heart.
