Raiders legend gives blessing to first overall pick Fernando Mendoza to wear No. 15: 'He's perfect'

Robert Griffin III joins Colin Cowherd to discuss the Las Vegas Raiders’ potential with Fernando Mendoza, the Chicago Bears’ draft class and whether Arch Manning and the 2027 NFL Draft class will live up to the hype.

One of the first major decisions for some rookies after the NFL Draft is what jersey number they wish to wear to kick off their careers.

Sometimes, those numbers work against the rookies, whether it’s players already owning their desired digits or a retired number getting in the way.

Las Vegas Raiders first overall pick Fernando Mendoza had a slight hiccup for his No. 15 heading into the draft. But the man known for the number by the franchise gave his blessing to the quarterback of the future.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, poses with Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak at a news conference in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

"He deserves my blessing," ex-Raiders quarterback and coach Tom Flores said about Mendoza donning No. 15 next season, according to the team’s official website. "Because if he’s not the real deal, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing."

The Raiders never formally retired Flores’ number, but he wanted to make sure to let Mendoza know how much he wants him to wear the number Mendoza starred in for the Hoosiers.

THE MOST INTRIGUING TEAMS AND PLAYERS OF THE 2026 NFL DRAFT'S FIRST ROUND

"He’s perfect," Flores said of the Heisman Trophy winner. "He can make every throw. He can make the plays. What can’t he do? He does it all. He’s fun to watch."

Flores rocked No. 15 for the Raiders from 1960-66,