New Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza non-committal about visiting White House with Indiana teammates

Fernando Mendoza was chosen No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

(David Becker via Getty Images)

Fernando Mendoza may not be among the Indiana players heading to the White House later this month.

The new Las Vegas Raiders quarterback was asked Saturday if he had plans to join his teammates from the College Football Playoff-winning team to visit President Donald Trump on May 11. The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner said he might have an understandable conflict.

“I believe May 11 is the first day of OTAs,” Mendoza said at a news conference on Saturday before briefly second-guessing himself on the date of the visit and the start of OTAs. “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 Indiana’s visit is set for May 11, Mendoza might be able to go if he isn’t required to be in Las Vegas for something else. According to the Raiders’ website, the first day of OTAs is the following Monday on May 18. Rookie minicamp began for the team on Friday and runs through Sunday.

“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.”

Mendoza was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft a week ago as the Raiders unsurprisingly took him ahead of anyone else. Ever since the Hoosiers beat Miami for the national championship in January — heck, even before that — Mendoza was considered the clear favorite to go No. 1 overall.

But that doesn’t mean that Mendoza will be starting in Week 1. The Raiders signed Kirk Cousins after he was released by the Atlanta Falcons to be the team’s bridge starter until new head coach Klint Kubiak feels Mendoza is ready.

“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 hearing him talk, observe and just being around him trying to get some osmosis from him in a way where I try to absorb information,” Mendoza said. “And I’m really looking forward to that relationship.”