Fernando Mendoza misses Raiders practice, says upset

Fernando Mendoza said this week he did not want to be away from the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice field, even for a league-sanctioned rookie marketing event. The rookie quarterback told Sports Illustrated he was “really upset” to miss practice while attending the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles, according to Yahoo Sports. Mendoza is the Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and has been one of the focal points of the team’s rookie minicamp and offseason program. The episode offered an early look at how the quarterback is presenting himself publicly as he begins his first NFL spring. ### What exactly did Mendoza say about missing practice? Fernando Mendoza told Sports Illustrated, “I’d rather be practicing right now, and I was really upset about actually having to miss practice for this,” Yahoo Sports reported. He added that the appearance was still “a great moment” and said he would not “feel sorry” for himself about being there. Yahoo’s report said the comments came during a Q&A tied to the event in Los Angeles. (sports.yahoo.com) The quote stood out because it was unusually direct for a rookie in May. Mendoza did not criticize the union event itself in the excerpts published by Yahoo, but he made clear that his preference was to remain with the Raiders during spring work. ### What was the NFLPA event he had to attend? The NFLPA said its 32nd annual Rookie Premiere brought together 42 rookies for “business, content and brand building” over three days in Los Angeles. (sports.yahoo.com) The players included Mendoza, according to the union’s player list and event release. The NFLPA describes the program as a commercial launch platform connecting rookies with partners, products and fan-facing content before the season. NFLPA player information for the 2026 event said participants were to arrive in Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 13. That timing helps explain why Mendoza was away from the Raiders during part of the club’s offseason schedule. ### Where is Mendoza in the Raiders’ offseason program? The Raiders have already featured Mendoza heavily in their rookie minicamp and offseason coverage. Raiders.com said the quarterback began work after arriving in Las Vegas as the No. 1 overall pick, and the team has posted videos from rookie minicamp and subsequent offseason practices. (nflpa.com) In one team mailbag, Raiders.com said Mendoza appeared focused on mechanics and on adjusting to taking snaps under center in Klint Kubiak’s West Coast offense. (nflpa.com) May 2 rookie minicamp remarks published by the team also showed Mendoza stressing daily improvement. In that session, he said he was “trying to take it all in to get better every single day,” according to Raiders.com. ### Why did the comment draw attention? The No. 1 overall pick is usually scrutinized more closely than other rookies, and Mendoza’s quote gave a sharper answer than the standard offseason line. (raiders.com) Yahoo Sports framed the remark as evidence of how seriously he is taking practice time in his first NFL spring. Separate Yahoo coverage earlier this month also said early practice clips from Mendoza had already drawn attention from Raiders fans online. (raiders.com) The Raiders’ own coverage has presented him as central to the team’s spring storylines. A recent video and roster page continue to place Mendoza at the center of the club’s offseason build under Kubiak. ### What comes next for the Raiders and Mendoza? Klint Kubiak spoke on May 20 about the Raiders’ OTA work and said the team was off to a “solid start,” according to Raiders.com. (sports.yahoo.com) The club’s preseason opener is scheduled for Aug. 13 against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium, based on the Raiders’ published preseason schedule. Before that, Mendoza is expected to continue through the rest of the offseason program, including mandatory minicamp and summer training camp. (raiders.com 1) (raiders.com 2)