Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza is not thrilled about having to miss OTAs in order to attend the NFLPA Rookie Premiere.
The annual Rookie Premiere connects the new class of NFL rookies with potential sponsors, and Mendoza was among those in attendance for the event, which took place earlier this month. He confessed, however, that he would rather not have been there.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’d rather be practicing right now and I was really upset about actually having to miss practice for this,” Mendoza told Gilberto Manzano of SI. “Although it’s great … it’s still been a great moment to where it was mandatory I be here. I’m not going to feel sorry for myself and feel wishy-washy. I’m going to have a smile on my face and make the most of that present moment.”
Mendoza moping and begrudgingly turning this event into a positive is pretty perfectly on-brand. This is, after all, someone who skipped a White House visit just because he did not want to miss a single day of practice.
The No. 1 overall pick has made it very clear that he feels the need to prove himself at the NFL level, even though the Raiders have essentially anointed him as the future of the franchise. He may not start immediately, but if he does not, it will not be because he did not put enough work in.
Mendoza did, in fact, make the best of the situation, and made a fan’s day while there. Missing practice was not a total loss, at least.
