Written by Rhea Alison, Sports reporter, covering international sports since 2020
Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza has cast doubt on whether he will attend Indiana’s scheduled White House visit on May 11, citing possible overlap with NFL offseason training activities. Speaking on May 3 after being selected first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, Mendoza said his focus remains on proving himself early in his professional career, even if it means missing a ceremonial trip with his former college teammates.
Rookie Focus Over Ceremony
Mendoza, who led Indiana to a College Football Playoff national title and won the 2025 Heisman Trophy, made it clear that his priority is earning his place in Las Vegas.
“I believe May 11 is the first day of OTAs,” Mendoza said. “If it is on the first day of OTAs, like I said, I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here, I gotta prove myself, I can’t miss practice.”
While official team schedules suggest OTAs begin May 18, rookie minicamp is already underway, and Mendoza appears unwilling to risk missing any team activities.
“I don’t have the calendar, but as a rookie, I don’t think that’s a good look and I want to try to best serve my teammates and I don’t know if that would be accomplishing that goal.”
Learning Behind a Veteran
The Raiders recently signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is expected to start early in the season. Mendoza acknowledged the opportunity to learn from him.
“Yeah, I think that when we’re watching the film, we see Kirk Cousins operate at a very high level so I think it’s going to be very beneficial,” he said.
For more NFL rookie updates, check out our latest draft analysis. For official offseason schedules, visit the NFL website.
