LAS VEGAS (FOX5) —Topps unveiled Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the cover athlete for its upcoming 2026 Flagship Football set, the trading card company announced.
It marks the first time the rookie has appeared on a Topps cover.
The 2026 Topps Flagship Football set hits retail Friday, Aug. 21. The release marks Topps’ first Flagship Football product since the company regained the NFL license in April.
MORE ON FOX5: A’s place Nick Kurtz on injured list, recall catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A
Mendoza’s early card history
At the NFL Draft, Mendoza appeared in Topps NOW cards, a print-on-demand program that commemorates significant sports moments. His card was released minutes after the Raiders selected him with the first overall pick and amassed a print run of more than 126,000 over 48 hours. One collector received a card Mendoza inscribed with “My 1st NFL Auto.”
Mendoza has also become a collector himself. He owns the 1/1 2025 Bowman Chrome Superfractor of himself from his time at Indiana University — a card he acquired via trade with a fellow Indiana classmate in exchange for tickets to Indiana’s College Football Playoff games and a jersey.
Mendoza recently signed a card from a separate product with the inscription “Viva Las Vegas.”
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
