The 2026 NFL Draft is finally upon us. Since about late-January, it has been pre-ordained for the Las Vegas Raiders to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall, and it's been impossible for anyone to hide it.
Each year, the league invites a set of top-end prospects to attend the draft in-person. Some take the invitation, while others choose to celebrate a life-changing moment at home with friends and family instead. It is a matter of personal choice.
And while the presumptive No. 1 overall pick is expected to be on-site, four of the nine most recent No. 1 overall picks have not attended the draft. Mendoza, in large part due to his mom's health situation, will be at home in Miami and not in Pittsburgh to shake hands with Roger Goodell.
It seems like the powers that be in the NFL aren't too happy about that.
NFL pulled out all the stops to get Fernando Mendoza to attend the 2026 NFL Draft
Everyone acknowledges and respects Mendoza's decision to celebrate his big moment at home with the people who have, as he said, "poured into" his football journey. That said, the NFL doesn't like to be told "no" about much of anything. They've got a product to sell.
At an event this week, per Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, Hall of Fame quarterback and 1998 No. 1 overall pick Peyton Manning talked about his draft day. He also revealed that the NFL recently enlisted him to try to convince Mendoza to go to Pittsburgh for the draft.
"It was a special day. I’ll be honest. The NFL reached out to me. I reached out to Mendoza to maybe encourage him to go to the draft,” Manning said. “I know he’s staying home with his family, which will be fine. But it is special to be there… I remember getting drafted. I flew to Indianapolis for a little press conference, and then the Colts flew me to Knoxville, and I had a draft party. That was my message to Fernando, is you can do both. You can go to the draft and have a good party.”
Mendoza not being in Pittsburgh Thursday night will take some juice out of the moment that he becomes the No. 1 pick. That juice is largely for show, though, with cameras that'll capture him donning a Raiders hat and shaking hands with Goodell, followed by an on-stage interview.
Some things are just more important than bowing to the NFL's desire to make the draft into a reality television show, and the league surely knew exactly why Mendoza chose to stay home. And Mendoza has said that he plans on being a great partner of the league during his career.
But the NFL still couldn't simply take no for an answer, to the point that they called Manning to try to change his mind about attending. Fitting that Mendoza, before even officially becoming a player, has the league frustrated with him. He was clearly meant to wear the Silver and Black.