Fernando Mendoza turns ChatGPT jokes into new ad deal

Fernando Mendoza has heard the jokes about sounding like ChatGPT.

Now, the Raiders rookie quarterback is giving that comparison a commercial twist.

Mendoza shared a new advertisement on social media Friday as part of his partnership with ChatGPT, adding another dimension to the public profile of the NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick.

The message accompanying the promotion centers on something decidedly human: making time for family amid the demands of a rapidly changing life.

“ChatGPT helps me stay organized so I can be there for the people who’ve been there for me,” Mendoza wrote on his LinkedIn page. His post included the hashtag identifying him as a ChatGPT partner and the commercial.

For a quarterback whose earnest delivery and carefully constructed answers have prompted comparisons to artificial intelligence, the pairing comes with an obvious layer of humor.

Mendoza was well aware of those comparisons long before joining the Raiders.

During media availability ahead of January’s national championship game, he acknowledged people saying he sounded like ChatGPT and explained that he had taken public speaking courses and watched videos to improve his communication skills.

That effort was part of a broader approach to making the most of his opportunities, including developing professional connections and maintaining a LinkedIn profile while pursuing his football career. 

Now, a product once invoked to describe his interview style has become part of his endorsement portfolio.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

The relationship itself predates Friday’s advertisement. A September interview with GQ identified Mendoza as an OpenAI partner and detailed how he uses ChatGPT to help follow the nutrition plan established by the Raiders’ staff, particularly when he is away from the team facility.

He described asking it questions about food choices and how those choices fit within his existing routine. 

Friday’s post shifts the emphasis toward organization and preserving family time, presenting the technology as a tool for managing responsibilities beyond football. OpenAI for Business also shared his message on LinkedIn. 

The advertisement arrives during Mendoza’s first NFL season after the Raiders selected the former Indiana quarterback first overall in April. That selection placed him at the center of the franchise’s long-term plans and introduced another chapter in his growing national profile. 

There is a fitting symmetry to the endorsement: A player who once discussed working on his speaking because of the ChatGPT comparisons is now working with the brand itself.

The jokes came first.

The business relationship followed.