Quarterback · Las Vegas Raiders

Fernando Mendoza

No. 15

First pick, no deal — Mendoza still on the outside looking in

The first overall pick in the draft is supposed to be the easy part. You get the call, you take the stage, the jersey comes out. What comes next is supposed to be a formality.

For Fernando Mendoza, it hasn't been. The Las Vegas Raiders selected him at the top of the board, but the two sides haven't agreed on his signing bonus, and Mendoza hasn't signed. He's in a group of four first-round quarterbacks from this draft class who still don't have contracts — which, at this stage, is a notable place to be.

Being the first overall pick carries real weight. It also carries real leverage — for both sides. Mendoza isn't slipping; he's not a surprise pick from a forgotten round. He is, on paper, the most prized player the draft produced. And yet he's still waiting.

How long that goes on matters. Every day without a deal is a day out of the building, away from the team, away from getting a real start on what comes next. The number will get worked out eventually. The question is what the wait costs him.

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