Jets' Fernando Mendoza dream is officially on life support after CFP blowout

The New York Jets will be in the market for a quarterback this offseason, and while it hasn't been explicitly stated by the organization, their preferred path is almost certainly to find their long-term solution in the 2026 NFL Draft.

For months, this year’s quarterback class has been picked apart and labeled underwhelming, but one name has steadily separated himself from the pack as the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in April.

That player is Fernando Mendoza, and his performance in Indiana’s 38–3 dismantling of Alabama in the College Football Playoff on Thursday only reinforced that belief. Unfortunately, it also may have ended any hopes the Jets had of landing the Cal transfer.

The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 1 overall pick and could clinch that position with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. If that happens, they would control the opportunity to select Mendoza in April.

Any dreams of Mendoza falling to the Jets seem to be on life support at this stage.

The Jets likely won't have an opportunity to draft Fernando Mendoza

The Jets were officially eliminated from contention for the No. 1 overall pick with the Atlanta Falcons' upset win over the Los Angeles Rams this past Monday. Even if the Raiders win and the Jets lose this Sunday, Las Vegas will still have the tiebreaker by strength of schedule.

The Jets could theoretically climb to the No. 2 overall pick if they lose to the Bills and the Giants defeat the Cowboys this weekend, but that won't help the team in the Mendoza race.

The only way the Jets could land Mendoza at this stage would be if the Raiders opted to forgo drafting him. It's important to remember that NFL teams are still early in their draft evaluations. The Raiders likely have not come close to finishing their evaluations of the quarterbacks in this year's draft.

Mendoza's performance against Alabama — a game that saw him finish 14-of-16 for 192 yards and three touchdowns, while out-dueling Ty Simpson — likely solidified his standing in the eyes of many, but it's not a guarantee he finishes as the Raiders' QB1.

Oregon's Dante Moore, assuming he declares, will also be in that conversation, and he will have every opportunity to make his case when the Ducks take on Mendoza's Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff semifinals next week. That game could very well be a battle between the two top picks in this year's draft.

The Raiders could also choose to pass on drafting a quarterback altogether. One could argue their roster is far enough away from contention that dropping a young quarterback into the current offensive infrastructure would be less than ideal.

In that scenario, the Raiders could explore a trade-down with the Jets (or another team) or take a best-player-available approach and target someone like Arvell Reese from Ohio State.

Unfortunately, the odds increasingly point toward Mendoza ending up in Las Vegas, barring something unforeseen. As things stand, the Jets’ hopes of landing him appear to have all but evaporated.

Get ready to learn slot machines and bad decisions, Fernando Mendoza — and Jets fans, get ready to start learning Dante Moore.