Fernando Mendoza Just Got a Big-Time Endorsement from a Raiders Legend

Fernando Mendoza is going to wear number 15 for the Las Vegas Raiders. That number used to belong to Tom Flores, and the 89-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer has personally given Mendoza his blessing.

Rich brought the news to the desk on The Rich Eisen Show, reading from Paul Gutierrez of the Raiders' team website. Flores's quote did the heavy lifting on its own.

"He deserves my blessing because if he's not the real deal, I don't know what the hell I'm doing," Flores told Gutierrez. He went further, calling Mendoza "perfect." "He can make every throw. He can make the plays. What can't he do? He does it all. He's fun to watch. Plus, he's a good-looking kid like me."

That last line drew the room into laughter. Mendoza, for his part, returned the favor with the kind of quote that's beginning to define his rookie public profile. He told Gutierrez that Flores is more handsome than him, then talked about the once-a-Raider, always-a-Raider feel of the gesture. He called it an eternal blessing, and pledged a daily commitment to excellence to make sure he lives up to the standard.

It's at this point that Chris and the cast started to wonder out loud whether Mendoza is too good to be true. The kid says all the right things. He hits all the notes. He's polished in a way that earns comparisons to a particular former quarterback.

"You know what comes across as too good to be true and perfect?" Rich said. "Tom Brady. You, too." The room laughed. Rich corrected the order, putting Chris first.

The number history got a quick pass too. Flores last wore 15 in Oakland in 1966. The Raiders don't retire numbers, so others have worn it since, including Connor Cook. The Tom Hanks "throw deep, baby" callback to a long-ago show appearance got a workout.

Then the conversation pivoted to something more substantive. Will Mendoza actually start in week one?

Chris admitted he was afraid to get his hopes up. Rich pushed back. "Fan is the root for fanatic," he said, "which means you're not thinking straight. Can't be afraid to get hurt as a fan." Chris's response was clean. "I think I've suffered enough, personally."

Rich made his actual football case. Mendoza has his head screwed on straight. He's exactly what a Raiders fan should want. He can move the pocket. The new offense, drawn from Gary Kubiak's tree, fits him. He's smart enough to pick up third-down protections, which Matthew Hasselbeck always says is the gate to playing time at the position.

But Rich landed on the realistic outcome. He doesn't think Mendoza beats out Kirk Cousins in a quarterback competition. Cousins is the week one starter. The Raiders don't have to rush the rookie because they don't have to. Mendoza, Rich added, is going to succeed eventually. He just needs a number one receiver to grow into. Catch a 50-50 ball. Catch a back-shoulder throw. Mendoza, by the team's own evaluation, is pretty damn perfect at those.