Fernando Mendoza’s brother steals show with Tom Brady exchange and TV debut amid Pat McAfee warning
Fernando Mendoza made his highly-anticipated NFL pre-season debut on Thursday, but his little brother stole the show.
The No.1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft will not be starting the regular season, but impressed on his debut for the Las Vegas Raiders despite falling to the Arizona Cardinals, 27-14.
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins opened proceedings for the Raiders, completing 5-of-6 for 50 yards and connecting with tight end Micheal Mayer on a 13-yard touchdown.
Rookie Mendoza soon entered the field, and led an efficient drive during the second quarter.
He hit four-of-six passes before finding wideout Jack Bech for a six-yard touchdown that tied the game up at 14-all.
In total, the Indiana Hoosiers alum completed 10 out of 16 throws for 96 yards and the touchdown pass to Bech, and was also sacked once.
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Max Mendoza shares heartfelt moment with Tom Brady
Ahead of the game, Mendoza’s younger brother Max shared a wholesome moment with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady.
In a video posted by the official Raiders X account, Max walked over to the greatest quarterback in NFL history with no hesitation.
Brady immediately paused his conversation to dap up the rookie’s sibling. He even liked the ‘Viva Los Raiders’ jacket that Max was wearing.
Max has his eyes set on a future in sports broadcasting. He currently hosts ‘The Max Mendoza Show.’
In a July appearance on The Pat McAfee show, he warned ESPN’s golden man that he was coming for his job.
“My dream job, would either be taking over Pat’s job, yeah actually, probably taking over his job,” Max said.
“Just imagine it, ‘The Max Mendoza Show’,” he added, pointing across the bottom of the screen.
Max Mendoza appears in broadcast booth for brothers NFL debut
After his interaction with Brady, Max was also invited into the live booth where he discussed multiple topics.
Max opened up about adjusting to living in Las Vegas, and reminisced about creating a touchdown celebration with his older brother.
Mendoza was tackled but managed to throw the ball away to prevent a second sack. Max brightened viewers’ evenings up with a funny response.
“My mom would not like that,” Max said.
His appearance in the booth caught the attention of fans, who see a bright future in the industry on the horizon.
“This little dude is so freaking polished for his age. Give this kid a broadcasting contract right now!!” one commented.
“He is exactly like his brother, future broadcasting star here,” a second added.
“He must have had broadcasting training with these hand movements, he much better than alot of the guys at 14,” a third said.
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