While every NFL mock draft you read these days goes in very different directions, they all begin the same way.
Fernando Mendoza will not attend the 2026 NFL Draft
Do not expect to see Fernando Mendoza hugging Roger Goodell at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
With the Las Vegas Raiders drafting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first-overall selection.
Las Vegas has a pressing need at quarterback, and Mendoza is the consensus QB1 in this year’s draft class. But if you were hoping for an on-stage moment with the former Heisman Trophy winner hugging NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, you might just be out of luck.
According to multiple reporters, Mendoza is opting to skip attending the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh, and opting to spend draft night in Miami with family and friends. As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Indiana quarterback “wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami.”
This is not the only news Mendoza made on Tuesday. Earlier in the day he took to his preferred social media platform, LinkedIn, to announce that he was “joining” U.S. Bank as the company’s Chief Financial Playmaker:
The last time the first-overall selection did not attend the NFL Draft in person came back in 2021, when Trevor Lawrence opted to stay at Clemson instead of attending the draft.
Mendoza has made other announcements on LinkedIn, including his decision to enter the 2026 NFL Draft.
So perhaps the next time we hear from him, it will be to announce his new job … in Las Vegas.
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