Tom Brady has revealed exactly how he is mentoring the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.
Brady owns a five percent stake in the Raiders, who selected Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Therefore, it is in the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s best interests to help Mendoza reach his elite potential.
He has all the talent in the world, but everyone knows that you need a lot more to become a great NFL quarterback.
Brady has now explained to three soccer legends how he is helping Mendoza ahead of the 2026-27 NFL season.
Tom Brady details the advice he’s giving Fernando Mendoza
Brady explained his role in helping Mendoza on The Overlap with Premier League legends Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright.
The former New England Patriot cannot relate to the pressure on Mendoza, as he was drafted with the 199th overall pick in 2000.
Instead, Mendoza will experience a situation more similar to that of Peyton Manning, or more recently, Trevor Lawrence.
However, Brady knows everything there is to know about quarterbacking in the NFL and is willing to offer Mendoza advice.
The 48-year-old wisely separates the skills required to be a professional athlete into three categories: physical, mental and emotional.
Brady revealed that he has already begun discussing those areas with Mendoza and will continue to throughout his rookie year.
“Fernando, who we chose, has the same expectation (as Peyton Manning). Fortunately, he has me there to help mentor him,” Brady said.
“I talk to him all the time and, a lot of times, I ask questions about what he needs for his development.
“I see it as three different buckets. There’s a physical development. The actual skills of throwing the football, dropping, how you’re training, and eating.
“There’s the mental part: what do you know about the plans, all the plays, your reads, your drops, your footwork, the strategy. How can I develop the toolkit you’re going to need to get us in the right place?
“And then the emotional part is always the touchy part about sports and athletes. One day, we perform great, and the next day, we’re still the same guy, but emotionally, you just don’t feel that good today. Why not?
“Why can’t we repeat great performances every day? There is emotional volatility to all of us, and I think the more you can minimise that, the better.”
Brady’s mentorship should give Mendoza a huge advantage over the other quarterbacks in the 2026 draft class.
It is still not guaranteed he will succeed, but Brady appears prepared to give the 22-year-old the best possible chance.
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