Fernando Mendoza may develop in the NFL like Sam Darnold, NFL legend suggests

The legendary quarterback who played for 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), Rich Gannon, has personally witnessed how some players grow in the league and what it takes to become an MVP.

In a recent interview, the NFL legend spoke about Fernando Mendoza, the 23-year-old American professional football quarterback who plays for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Gannon pointed to the importance of growing in the NFL, accumulating knowledge and experience and how such processes can really help shape young quarterbacks.

"We see a history of quarterbacks that come into the league that struggle a little bit early. Then finally, whether it's with another team, like Sam Darnold's a great example of that, you know, he went to the Jets for 4 years and they, everyone thought he was, he was no good," the former professional football player said, in the context of how Mendoza can develop into a star quarterback.

Focusing on Darnold's journey, Gannon mentioned his transition to the Carolina Panthers for a couple of years and his experience with the San Francisco 49ers.

"For a year he doesn't play, but gets a chance to watch, listen and learn," the former NFL pro player explained.

Then, Darnold's journey continued with him playing for the Minnesota Vikings, a period Gannon described as a "really good year."

That was until Minnesota decided to get rid of Darnold, the NFL legend continued, explaining that once Darnold joined the Seattle Seahawks, he led the team to win the Super Bowl.

Comparing Mendoza to Darnold, Gannon said: "So, if you look at his (Sam Darnold's) evolution, there was a lot of adversity along the way, and I think that's pretty standard with a lot of young quarterbacks."

Image credit: Pixabay.com