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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is primed for a great debut season. Will he win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award?
Mendoza, of course, was selected by the Raiders with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With that said, the former Indiana Hoosiers star certainly has the talent to make an impact in Year One. It’ll be intersting, though, to see if the Raiders quarterback emerges as the league’s best offensive rookie.
Will Raiders Quarterback Fernando Mendoza Win Rookie of the Year?
Spotlighting His Career
Before Mendoza was the Raiders’ quarterback, he attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, Florida. During his career there, he passed for 1,396 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 137 yards and a score. He originally committed to play college football at Yale University before choosing the University of California, Berkeley.
Mendoza would play two seasons at Cal. In 2024, he was the third-leading passer in the ACC with 3,004 passing yards. He also accounted for 18 total touchdowns. In addition, he led the Bears to six wins and a bowl game in their first season as members of the ACC.
Mendoza had several memorable performances in 2024. He threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-14 road win at Auburn. Plus, he had 285 passing yards and two scores in the Bears’ 39-38 loss to then-No. 8 Miami. In addition, Mendoza led a comeback and a 98-yard winning touchdown drive for a 24-21 victory over Stanford in his final game with the Bears.
Mendoza transferred to Indiana during the 2025 offseason, replacing current San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Kurtis Rourke. He would put together a spectacular debut season at Indiana, throwing for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns while rushing for seven scores.
Mendoza was named the Associated Press Player of the Year and won the Heisman Trophy. He also led an unbeaten and top-ranked Indiana to its first Big Ten championship since 1967 and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
In addition, Mendoza powered the Hoosiers to a national championship as they defeated Miami 27-21 in the title game. He was named the 2026 National Championship Offensive MVP.
Quarterbacks Taken First Overall Who’ve Won Rookie of the Year
Surprisingly, only three quarterbacks who were drafted No. 1 overall have ever won Rookie of the Year honors: Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, and Kyler Murray.
Bradford was the first of the trio to accomplish the feat, taking home the award back in 2010. Following a successful college career at Oklahoma, which featured a Heisman Trophy win, he was drafted by the St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams.
Bradford led a Rams squad that had finished just 1-15 the previous year to a respectable 7-9 record. He threw for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns during his first year in St. Louis.
The following year, Cam Newton pulled it off as well. The Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn passed for 4,068 yards, ran for 706, and produced a total of 35 touchdowns. He also guided the 2011 Carolina Panthers to four more wins than they had the year prior.
Murray is the most recent first overall quarterback to win Rookie of the Year. Just like Bradford and Newton, Murray has a Heisman Trophy on his resume. The 2019 draft pick recorded 3,722 passing yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 544 yards and four touchdowns. Murray also helped the Arizona Cardinals add two more victories than they had in 2018.
Will the Raiders Quarterback Pull It Off?
New Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is expected to bring Mendoza along slowly. There’s a possibility that veteran Kirk Cousins could start the entire 2026 season as a bridge quarterback.
If Cousins does play a lot, Mendoza will obviously not have a shot to win Rookie of the Year. But look for Mendoza to play the majority of the season, and immediately show why he was a first overall pick. The young Raiders quarterback is just too good to sit on the bench. Look for him to join Bradford, Newton, and Murray by grabbing Rookie of the Year honors as he helps Las Vegas become a much-improved ball club in 2026.
Main Image: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
