Fernando Mendoza

Until recently, the dumbest thing Dan Orlovsky ever did was unintentionally, unwittingly and inexplicably scramble out of the back of an end zone during an NFL game almost two decades ago in order to avoid getting sacked. But then Tuesday happened.And Orlovsky, the former-NFL-backup-quarterback-turned-usually-insightful ESPN football analyst, ran out of excuses and reasons for disliking Fernando Mendoza as the top quarterback prospect in the NFL draft.Thank you, Pat McAfee.It was McAfee who delivered a withering cross-examination of Orlovsky during a regularly scheduled segment of the Pat McAfee show. And under the often pointed questions about why he has somehow decided the Heisman Trophy and national championship winner is an inferior draft prospect to Alabama's Ty Simpson, Orlovsky wilted.The conversation opened amicably enough, with McAfee allowing Orlovsky to embrace Simpson as the coming draft's best QB prospect. No, really.Orlovsky argues that he values tape over traits in judging these two QBs. He believes Simpson has a better tape than Mendoza. And to drive home his point, Orlovsky sought safety in the number of NFL general managers he says he contacted and confirmed they also think Simpson is better.This part makes me smile. One of the biggest complaints players and former players have about journalism is that it employs information from anonymous sources. And here is Orlovsky, a former player, quoting anonymous general managers as agreeing with him about Simpson.(If this is true, one assumes one of those GMs will race up to the No. 2 overall selection and pick Simpson after the Raiders pick Mendoza No. 1 overall).Anyhoo, the segment went off the rails when McAfee said multiple people who saw Mendoza in person in the biggest games were sold on Mendoza. Orlovsky immediately pushed back, asking, "What biggest games?"Craziness ensued.Mendoza won the Big Ten championship game, the Rose Bowl championship, the Peach Bowl championship and, the Orange Bowl championship, which happened to also deliver the national championship."So the College Football Playoff is a big mockery and scam. Doesn’t mean anything. Like, these games just don’t matter? Like what do you mean what are the biggest games?" McAfee asked. "They have a full [expletive] committee! They have billions of dollars in TV rights for what the biggest games are."Orlovsky, connecting via his smart phone while sitting in a car, answered, "I'm aware of that dude."Well, then why was he asking?Orlovsky raised the white flag – actually he didn't but rather just fidgeted with his white cap – and acknowledged McAfee’s point, but quickly pivoted to the Big Ten Championship Game.Orlovsky tried to come back from getting dragged by offering "factual information." He said that in the Big Ten championship, Indiana was "down 13-6 going into the fourth quarter.""I'm giving you factual information, not opinion," Orlovsky insisted. "They had six points through the first three quarters in the Big Ten title game."That kind of "factual information," one supposes, is meant to somehow prove Mendoza isn't as good as Simpson. Except the information is wrong. The Hoosiers were leading 13-10 through three quarters in a game they ultimately won.And even if Orlovsky's fictional score was accurate, it proves nothing about Mendoza versus Simpson. It doesn't speak to how they respond in big games because Indiana and Alabama actually played against one another on Jan. 1 in a big game and Indiana roasted the Crimson Tide, 38-3.Mendoza completed 14-of-16 passes for 192 yards and 3 TDs in the game. Simpson completed 12-of-16 passes for 67 yards. Simpson has a total of 15 starts during his college career, all of them last season. That lack of experience and seasoning is a concern among multiple scouts. Mendoza has 34 career college starts, including 16 consecutive victories against no losses in 2025-26.That doesn't mean Mendoza is better, but it's a box he checks off for pro scouts that Simpson does not.The situation hit its climax when McAfee pointed out that Orlovsky and Simpson share the same agency that represents them and mentioned how people on social media are thinking he's been paid off.Both the player and the analyst are represented by CAA."The agents work for us, not the other way around," Orlovsky said.I don't believe Orlovsky is being paid to support Simpson over Mendoza. I do believe he's proven he's capable of doing and saying dumb things – and this interview proved that.