The Kansas City Chiefs look to bounce back in 2026 and return to the top of the division. They won the division nine straight times between 2016 and 2024, but that changed when quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL.
While it looks like he's shooting for a Week 1 return, other teams in the division, including the Las Vegas Raiders, used the offseason to improve their roster. The Raiders owned the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, in which they selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
While getting the top pick and best college quarterback wasn't enough, it appears that Tom Brady is mentoring Mendoza more than people even realize.
During an episode on "The Overlap" podcast, Brady revealed that he talks to Mendoza all the time and constantly asks him questions about what he needs for his development. The fact that the greatest quarterback of all time is behind the scenes helping develop a Chiefs rival isn't ideal, and what fans want to hear.
Fernando Mendoza's new mentor could help elevate the Raiders in the AFC West.
Las Vegas has been searching for a quarterback for a long time, which has played a major role in why they have been so bad. Since Mahomes took over as the starter, the Chiefs are 13-2 against the Raiders.
No matter whose been under center there, it hasn't been enough to slow down Kansas City, but everyone knows what a quarterback can do for an organization. Mendoza is coming off a very dominant season at Indiana, where he won the national championship. In 16 games, he completed 72 percent of his throws for 3,535 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns.
He was the best collegiate quarterback in 2025, and now he gets to learn from a seven-time Super Bowl champion and three-time MVP. Brady knows what it takes to win at the highest level and do it for a long stretch of time.
The fact that he's a sounding board for Mendoza can't make people in Kansas City happy. Brady is a minority owner for the Raiders and has played a big role in their decisions this offseason. Even though Mendoza has been around the Raiders for two months, he has already revealed that a lesson from Brady about being the "most everything" in terms of leadership, toughness, and physicality has resonated with him.
As time goes on, Mendoza will continue to learn valuable lessons from Brady. Of course, the rest of the roster needs to be built the right way, but seeing Brady help the No. 1 overall pick is annoying. The Chiefs know they have bigger fish to fry, especially with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Raiders in their division, but the Raiders have one of the best assets anyone could ask for in mentoring their young quarterback.
Time will tell how impactful this mentorship actually is, but Kansas City shouldn't overlook this. This is something that benefits Las Vegas long-term, and that should bother the Chiefs.
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