The man of the hour will leave Roger Goodell high and dry.
Fernando Mendoza, who will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders later this month, will not be in attendance to hear his name called in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium.
Instead, Mendoza will choose to be with his family in Miami.
He will be the first No. 1 pick to skip the draft since 2021, when Trevor Lawrence chose to spend his big night with family and friends at Clemson instead of traveling to Cleveland.
The move is sure to be a hit to the excitement of the proceedings, as Mendoza going on stage for a photo opportunity with NFL Commissioner Goodell is a staple of top draft picks.
It also means Mendoza will not be with Tom Brady or the rest of the Raiders to answer questions from the media, nor will he be photographed with the jersey on stage.
Mendoza likely had a camera installed at his party in Miami to broadcast the festivities live for an NFL broadcast.
Mendoza is coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning season with the Indiana Hoosiers, where he also led the team to the national championship.
The Raiders have completely overhauled their franchise in preparation for Mendoza’s arrival in 2026.
Las Vegas has signed Tyler Linderbaum to a historic contract for an offensive lineman as they look to improve behind their worst-ranked unit from last season.
For 50 years, the NFL held the draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York, a round that ended in 2014.