Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza has stayed on the quiet and low-key side when it comes to the money side of his status as a celebrity NFL quarterback, but now he could be trying to cash in on his newfound celeb status in a big way, according to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that has him filing a trademark application for the term “Nandolorian.”
The request comes as a result of the Raiders 2026 schedule release video, which unofficially gave Mendoza a cheeky new nickname related to the release of “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” which of course is one of the latest installments in the long-running Star Wars saga.
Florio referred to attorny Josh Gerben about the possible legal implications of this kind of filing: “As Gerben notes, the move could spark a fight with Disney and Lucasfilm, which holds 16 trademarks related to the ‘Mandalorian,’ part of the broader Star Wars universe.”
The writer also raised the question of whether this would be counted as a parody. Florio noted that that would almost certainly be Mendoza’s position, if or when Disney and Lucasfilm decides to challenge the filing.
The filing tracks with a recent actions of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who made a similar move with the term “Iceman,” which has been the nickname for Hall of Fame NBA basketball player George Gervin. In Mendoza’s case, the goal is to keep others from making and selling Nandalorian merchandise and keeping the money.
Disney would likely counter that by saying that those rights are theirs to protect, if or when people begin selling Nandalorian gear, according to Florio. He also wrote that, “The situation could get interesting if/when Disney calls its ESPN partner (the NFL) to try to get Mendoza to back down.”
It’s hard to tell what this situation is really about. Florio also noted that Mendoza “seems eager to please and to placate his team.” On the other hand, this could also be a simple cash grab given the amount of merch money that could possibly be out there to be grabbed.
The telling sign that Mendoza has waded into an unexpected controversy would be if the NFL asks the Raiders to withdraw his application. That would generate a new level of publicity that both the team and the quarterback would prefer to avoid, unless the goal here is simply to make as much money as possible for all involved parties.
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