Fernando Mendoza capped a dizzying week by stepping onto a stage in Henderson on Friday, April 24, 2026, to address a room full of Raiders season-ticket holders. Just 24 hours earlier, the Indiana quarterback had been selected first overall by Las Vegas in the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.

The week began with a media blitz. Mendoza appeared on CNBC’s Alex Sherman to discuss leadership, broke down X’s and O’s on The Dan Patrick Show, and made stops on other national programs. By Thursday night, he was at the draft with his family as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced his name.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Mendoza said Friday, standing alongside head coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek. The trio held a news conference at the Intermountain Health Performance Center before Mendoza joined fans for the Raiders Festival of Football.

While Mendoza mingled with supporters, fans lined up at the team shop to buy No. 15 jerseys. The rookie’s next steps include mini-camps and offseason training activities over the next eight weeks, followed by training camp in Henderson in July.