![\"Fernando](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2257226408-e1770073408619.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza doing some media availability at the College Football Playoff.<\/p>\n
The only way the New York Jets<\/a> will realistically have a shot at Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza is if they trade up in the 2026 NFL draft.<\/p>\n NFL<\/a> Network\u2019s Daniel Jeremiah<\/a> explained to Rich Eisen that\u2019s what he expects the Jets to try and do.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the Jets would effort with all the picks that they have accumulated to try and see if they could pry that pick away from the [Las Vegas] Raiders<\/a>. The buzz down here amongst all the teams is that there is no chance that the Raiders would trade off of that pick,\u201d Jeremiah said on \u201cThe Rich Eisen Show.\u201d<\/p>\n Rich cuts in and asks, \u201cYou think the Jets would trade up for Fernando Mendoza?\u201d<\/p>\n Jeremiah responds, \u201cOh, I 100% think they would.\u201d<\/p>\n Eisen says, \u201cNo kidding?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c100%,\u201d Jeremiah responds. \u201cIt\u2019s irrelevant because they\u2019re not going to pass up an opportunity to get Mendoza. I don\u2019t think the Raiders would do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Insider Explains What Jets Will Attempt to Do in More Detail<\/p>\n Eisen said, \u201cSo the Jets are going to try, and it\u2019s not going to\u2026 because I honestly thought that the Jets getting picks in next year\u2019s draft is when they\u2019re going to be targeting their quarterback, and that may happen anyway. But you\u2019re saying that it won\u2019t be for a lack of trying to have the Raiders move off of Mendoza?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I mean, this is just kind of the buzz down here. I\u2019m not saying the Jets would trade all of their picks that they have accumulated, but they\u2019re this close to being able to get a guy that they would try and make an effort to do that, but it would be a moot point because [the Raiders] are not going to move off of it. The Raiders seem to be pretty in love with Fernando Mendoza,\u201d Jeremiah explained on \u201cThe Rich Eisen Show.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jets Absolutely Have to Make the Call<\/p>\n General manager Darren Mougey isn\u2019t doing his job if he doesn\u2019t call Las Vegas about the No. 1 overall pick.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see it happening. I do think they make the call, and they probably already have and will continue to do so. They will offer the kitchen sink and everything, and your mother. You are not going to end up with Fernando Mendoza unless something shocking happens,\u201d Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic explained on \u201cJets Final Drive.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The Jets hold the No. 2 overall pick, which is a valuable asset. However, in a draft that appears to be a one-horse quarterback race, the Jets appear to be holding the bag.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an unfortunate reality to deal with after an excruciating 3-14 campaign that is among the worst in team history.<\/p>\n The Jets have more ammunition than any other team in the NFL over the next two years. Gang Green is armed with five first-round draft choices and three second-round picks.<\/p>\n That gives the team a golden opportunity to dig themselves out of the hole they reside in. The No. 1 goal of those assets is to transform them somehow, someway into a franchise quarterback.<\/p>\n The Jets will attempt to pull off a miracle with the Raiders, but that appears less and less likely the closer we get to the draft.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tPaul Esden Jr.<\/a> covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Jets\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza doing some media availability at the College Football Playoff. The only way…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":724922,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2065],"tags":[7,1744,393,2455,2454,6,525],"class_list":{"0":"post-724921","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-las-vegas-raiders","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-las-vegas","10":"tag-las-vegas-raiders","11":"tag-lasvegas","12":"tag-lasvegasraiders","13":"tag-nfl","14":"tag-raiders"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116003790698110622","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=724921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/724922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=724921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=724921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=724921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}