Fernando Mendoza Isn’t Throwing At The Combine. Why It Does Not Matter

Welcome to the 2026 NFL Combine. For four days at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, 318 collegiate athletes with NFL aspirations will have their athletic abilities, bodily measurements, and interpersonal skills tested, recorded, and evaluated down to the smallest detail. (The combine is by invitation, this year, 319 athletes were invited. Oregon Ducks’ Isaiah World will not attend due to a late ACL injury, and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson has decided not to work out.)

Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza is one of the marquee names who were invited, will attend, and will participate in some workouts. A total of 16 quarterbacks will be there, and on Saturday, February 28, quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers will be on the field for the athletic portion of their evaluation.

Mendoza is one of the 16 quarterbacks. He has chosen not to participate in the part of the evaluation that includes throwing the football.

This is why it does not matter.

The Quarterback Need

There are seven NFL teams in need of a quarterback for the upcoming season: the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Jets, and the Pittsburgh Steelers can be classified under the desperate need category. The Raiders have the first pick of the draft, the Jets have the second, and the Steelers have the 21st pick. The Miami Dolphins, the Arizona Cardinals, the Cleveland Browns, and the Minnesota Vikings can be penciled in under; an upgrade is needed; they are picking 11th, third, sixth, and 18th, respectively. These four teams have quarterbacks on the roster who are either part of trade rumors or have been less than franchise quarterback worthy.

This year is an example of what happens when demand outweighs availability.

Why

Of the 16 quarterbacks invited to the NFL Combine, five are seen as potential draft candidates, two are seen as possible NFL starters, and only one is seen as bona-fide first round candidate and an NFL franchise quarterback.

And that is why the players attend the combine: to increase their draft value, to change the minds of NFL teams, to showcase abilities that were not evident on their game tapes. The combine is an opportunity to show the NFL teams that they are worthy of a draft pick.

The Combine

Take Anthony Richardson. Richardson started in only 13 games in his entire collegiate career. His tape showed a player who was inconsistent on mid-range throws, did not go through his progressions, and had underdeveloped mechanics and footwork. It also showed an athletic quarterback. His athletic skills were on full display at the 2023 NFL Combine. Richardson recorded the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash for a quarterback (4.43) and the highest vertical (40.5”) and broad jump (10’9”) for a quarterback in 20 years. It is conceivable that this quarterback, who only started 13 games in his collegiate career, had meh tape of his college time, was vaulted to a first-round pick (fourth overall) by his combine performance.

That is what 15 quarterbacks are looking to achieve this week.

Fernando Mendoza

This does not include Mendoza.

Mendoza is the consensus number one pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Last season, he passed for 41 touchdowns with six interceptions. He ranked second in the nation for adjusted completion percentage (79.2%) while passing for 3,535 yards. Mendoza also had 276 rushing yards with seven touchdowns.

Mendoza is the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner. He not only led the Indiana Hoosiers to a 15-0 record, including the National Championship, but was named Player of the Game, along with defensive end Mikail Kamara.

In virtually every mock draft, he is the only quarterback taken in the first round, and that is at the number one pick to the Las Vegas Raiders. The question isn’t whether he is going to throw; it is why he would throw at the combine.

There is nothing for Mendoza to gain by throwing to unknown receivers at the combine. What is the benefit to him? He literally has nothing to prove. And he isn’t alone. Cam Ward, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford, and Andrew Luck are just a few of the quarterbacks who went to the combine and chose not to throw until their pro day.

Mendoza is a lock for the first pick of the draft. As he says, “At the combine, you’re throwing to different receivers, it’s a whole different thing. And I want to make sure I give my guys the best chance. I want to throw at pro day with my guys, with my running backs, and be there with the boys.”

Mendoza realizes he has nothing to gain by throwing at the combine. And in fact, shows that even his throwing at his pro day is all about showcasing the talent of his receivers and running backs. The consensus number one pick of the NFL Draft knows where he stands and understands he has nothing to prove.

It doesn’t matter if he throws at the combine; he is the only quarterback in this draft whose stock is locked.