Back on April 18, 1998, NFL legend Peyton Manning had one of the most defining moments of his life and career. That day, the 1998 NFL Draft was underway in New York, and all eyes were on whether the Indianapolis Colts would choose him or Ryan Leaf with the No. 1 overall pick. Both were expected to be franchise quarterbacks, but the Colts picked Manning, who promised to win a championship for Indianapolis. 

Fast forward to the present day, and Fernando Mendoza is in the same position as Manning, projected to be the Las Vegas Raiders’ No. 1 pick. But what’s different is that the former Indiana Hoosiers QB has decided not to attend the draft spectacle in Pittsburgh. And Manning just revealed that the league even asked him to step in and persuade the young QB.

“I’ll be honest, the NFL kind of reached out to me,” Peyton Manning said while talking to reporters on Wednesday. “I reached out to Mendoza to maybe encourage him to go to the draft. I know he’ll be staying home with his family, which will be fine. But it is special to be there, and when I got drafted, there were only four of us there. I only got to bring like three people—my mom, my dad, and my brother.”

“And I remember getting drafted, and I flew to Indianapolis for a little press conference, and then the coach flew me to Knoxville, where they had a draft party. So, that was my message to Fernando – you can do both. You can go to the draft and have a good party outside of Miami. But yeah, hard to believe it’s been a way back since 1998 and a fun day.”

Over the years, the NFL has transformed the draft event into a big fan experience that is a lot different from the time that Peyton Manning got drafted. Back in 1998, the NFL draft took place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York and spanned just two days. Beyond the Manning vs. Leaf debate, the buzz around the event was relatively contained.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh last hosted the NFL draft in 1947 at the Fort Pitt Hotel, where just 40 people gathered in a cramped room. There was no television coverage or roaring crowds, just players being drafted for a few hours in the Rooneys’ office rooms. But this week, hundreds of thousands of fans have already flooded Pittsburgh, gathering around Acrisure Stadium, where the 2026 NFL draft will be held.

“It’s already getting crazy down here,” Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. “More and more people are coming. The city is already super sports-themed, so I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like on the weekend of the draft. It’s gonna be nuts.”

So, the last thing that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants is this year’s top draft pick not to be in Pittsburgh this week. But despite Peyton Manning’s efforts, Fernando Mendoza could not be swayed to join the festivities in the Steel City. 

Why is Fernando Mendoza not attending the 2026 NFL Draft?

The last time that a No. 1 overall pick player did not attend the NFL draft was in 2021. At that time, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ No. 1 overall pick, Trevor Lawrence, chose to stay back in Clemson to celebrate with his loved ones, instead of traveling to the draft site in Cleveland. This month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that Fernando Mendoza has opted to take the same path as Lawrence. 

Mendoza plans to host a private party in Miami, with cameras to livestream his reaction to the NFL draft. This means Mendoza will not be there in Pittsburgh for his jersey reveal or share the stage with Roger Goodell like Peyton Manning did. But as it turns out, for Mendoza, what’s more important is prioritizing celebrating the moment with his family. 

“Pittsburgh is a great opportunity, and it’s a great venue,” Fernando Mendoza said during his interview on the Rich Eisen Show this week. “I’m really excited to see all the guys walk across the stage on Thursday night. It’s going to be a dream for a lot of guys.” 

“However, my mom really wanted to do it at home, and so to my parents, it’s a lot easier for us, especially with the family situation and having to hop on a plane the next morning anyway, and for that travel, it’d be a lot easier to stay at home. I wanted to stay and make the memory with everybody who poured into my football journey: mentors, coaches, family, and friends.”

Mendoza wants what’s best for his family, especially his mother, Elsa, who has been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) for nearly two decades. Since Elsa moves around with a wheelchair, travel can be physically demanding for her. So, skipping the NFL draft will allow her to avoid multiple flights to Pittsburgh and make the draft experience more comfortable for her. As such, Goodell’s handshake and hug for the No. 1 pick in the draft will have to wait.