Fernando Mendoza refuses to get lured by Las Vegas Strip: ‘It’s like a boogeyman’

Las Vegas’ next big thing wants no part of the city’s staple attraction.

Raiders No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza said during a recent interview with The Athletic that while he’s been to the Strip a couple times since joining the Silver and Black this offseason, he has zero desire of becoming a regular there.

Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders practices during the team’s training camp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on Thursday, August 6, 2026, in Henderson, Nevada. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images

“It’s like a boogeyman,” the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback said. “A lot of people talk about the strip like, ‘You don’t want to go there.’

“It’s like when you’re a kid; you’re trick-or-treating, and there’s the haunted house. You’re not trying to go over there.”

A man uses an umbrella as a shield from the sun as visitors stand in a patch of shade while waiting in line to take images in front of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on the Las Vegas Strip on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for the Las Vegas valley from July 30 through August 2. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images

Mendoza’s comments should hardly be surprising.

Much like Kirk Cousins — the signal caller currently sitting ahead of him on the Raiders’ depth chart — Mendoza has developed quite the reputation for being a goody two-shoes.

And even though he’s now a professional making NFL money in Sin City, the 22-year-old former Indiana star made it clear he’s not changing his stripes anytime soon.

“Las Vegas is one of the entertainment capitals of the world,” he said. “But I have a job to do, and it’s football. I don’t have anybody that really relies on me, if that makes sense, so I can just be psycho about football.

“And then every once in a while, on an off day or night, I can go out to a movie and watch ‘Spiderman’ or ‘The Odyssey’ or something.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) during an NFL football practice Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) AP Photo/David Becker

“In Vegas, there is a lot to do, and sometimes it can be seen as activities that wouldn’t be supporting a healthy football lifestyle. But there are different things that you can go see and do that aren’t degenerative activities, per se. There are some great restaurants. But I’m probably not going to be playing blackjack till late at night.”

Raiders fans will get their first look at the squeaky-clean Mendoza in game action later Thursday, when he’s expected to play a few series in Las Vegas’ home tilt with the Cardinals at 5 p.m. PT.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *