Fernando Mendoza is set to wear No. 15 for the Las Vegas Raiders. Apparently the team’s new quarterback didn’t want to give away the secret.
Mendoza, the top pick in the NFL draft by the Raiders, was introduced at the team’s headquarters Friday and said he wasn’t sure whether he would be assigned his old college number and one that holds significance within the organization.
“I feel like I need to prove it and earn it every single day. If I wear No. 15 this year, whether or not that happens, Tom Flores was able to coach and win two Super Bowls and also wear No. 15 as a quarterback,” Mendoza said. “He has cemented that number. … I’m stoked and ready to prove it.”
While Mendoza showed respect to Flores, he may not have been aware the team is already selling No. 15 Mendoza jerseys online for $150.
When’s the next payday?#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/l2B2v1AvUX
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 24, 2026
Flores played quarterback for the Raiders in the AFL from 1960-66 and wore No. 15. He coached the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Flores was the first minority head coach to win a Super Bowl and was part of the inaugural class of the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame in February. Mendoza, the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame’s college player of the year, is Cuban.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett wore No. 15 for the Raiders last season, and quarterback Gardner Minshew had the number in 2024. Other notable Raiders players to wear No. 15 include wide receivers Nelson Agholor (2020), Michael Crabtree (2015-2017) and Johnnie Lee Higgins (2007-2010), and quarterback Jeff Hostetler (1993-1996).
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.
