NFL fans are convinced analyst Dan Orlovsky has an ulterior motive for his harsh criticism of Fernando Mendoza.
The Heisman winner, who led Indiana to the national championship last season, is widely expected to be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft.
But that view is not shared by Orlovsky, who came under fire when he offered a wildly different stance on Mendoza’s draft stock earlier this week.
The ESPN analyst controversially named Alabama star Ty Simpson as his top quarterback in this year’s draft class, listing him above Mendoza.
‘I think Ty Simpson is QB1,’ Orlovsky said on Get Up on Monday. ‘I think Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in this class.
‘I think when you look at the body of work and what was asked of these two quarterbacks, you have to start with the question, who needed to do more to carry their football team to play well? Ty Simpson, and it’s not close.
NFL fans believe Dan Orlovsky has an ulterior motive for his criticism of Fernando Mendoza
The ESPN analyst claimed that Heisman winner Mendoza is not the top QB in the draft
‘Between those two quarterbacks who took more games over throughout the course of the season? Ty Simpson, it’s not even close.
‘And if we’re asking like, okay, we’re trying to see what you are as a player in college and what you’re going to be asked to do in the NFL, and what translates, I start with, what do you do in moments of panic with the football? Because that’s really what separates good [from] great.’
His take sparked backlash from NFL fans on social media. However, many believed Orlovsky’s analysis may have been fueled by off-field matters.
They took to X to share that Orlovsky and Simpson share an agent, with both represented by CAA. Meanwhile, Mendoza is managed by Excel Sports Management.
Orlovsky is represented by CAA Sports Media agent Matt Olson, while Simpson is signed with CAA Sports for player contract negotiations. Yet, there is of course nothing to suggest that it influenced Orlovsky’s analysis.
When asked about the fact they share an agent on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Orlovsky said: ‘I pay a lot of attention to and see the things that are said. I don’t address them all but the agents work for us, not the other way around. Just so everybody knows.
‘They’re employed by us. That’s how the business model is. CAA is a very big agency. They have a lot of people. That’s all I’ll say on that.
‘I would just say that I am not nearly important enough to CAA, financially, for them to pay me to say something about a guy (Simpson) who may be the 20th pick in the draft.
‘I don’t make enough money for them to pay me to say that. But people can think what they want. There is no ulterior motive behind this.’
According to Dan Orlovsky, Alabama’s Ty Simpson looks better on film than Mendoza
The Las Vegas Raiders are widely expected to select Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick
The Las Vegas Raiders have the first pick in April’s draft and are widely expected to take Mendoza, who did not throw at the ongoing scouting combine in Indianapolis.
Neither minority owner Tom Brady nor his college teammate and Raiders general manager John Spytek have tipped their hand as far as Mendoza is concerned.
Spytek did, however, discuss the traits he’s looking for in a franchise quarterback.
‘It’s such a hard game, your competitive spirit has to run really high,’ Spytek told reporters in Indianapolis. ‘You’ve got to be willing to play through, you know, tough circumstances and to me, it always goes back to the love of the game.
‘The guys that truly love football, they love to practice, they love to prepare, they love to watch film, they love to play hurt, so I think those things are kind of uncompromising.’
Mendoza certainly fits the bill judging by a 2025 campaign that included a game-winning throw to beat Penn State and a heroic quarterback sneak for the decisive score against Miami in the national title game.
Not only did he lead the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 record, but he also tossed for 3,535 yards with an FBS-best 41 touchdown passes and just six picks.
