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The projected top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, said a team executive suggested he get busted so he could move on to that team’s pick in the next draft.
Mendoza is expected to be the No. 1 pick of the Las Vegas Raiders, but he is still interviewing with other teams at the NFL combine.
Mendoza revealed a team’s suggestion that he get arrested during an interview with CBS Sports on Friday, when he was asked about the weirdest question he’d received from teams at the NFL combine.
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Indiana Hoosiers quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza (15) and Alberto Mendoza (16) warm up before the game against the UCLA Bruins at Memorial Stadium on October 25, 2025, in Bloomington, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
“It was, ‘Hey, maybe you should be arrested,’ and I was a little confused, but then I was like, slide…so you can slide into the draft,” he said.
Mendoza declined to reveal which team made the suggestion.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza (15) and Alberto Mendoza (16) walk onto the field to warm up before the 2025 Big Ten Conference championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 6, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)
“So I hope I won’t be arrested,” he added.
Mendoza is the hottest quarterback prospect this year after leading Indiana to the first 16-0 season in modern college football history, winning the national championship and the Heisman Trophy.
He finished the 2025 season with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Other teams in need of a quarterback besides the Raiders might not find many answers in this draft after Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returns to college for another year.
Other prospects, including Ty Simpson, Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier, are expected to be lower-tier prospects compared to Mendoza.
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