The Cleveland Browns have been in the mix for a starting-caliber quarterback for years now.
And, unfortunately, not even taking two rookies in the underwhelming quarterback class of 2025 may have been enough to change that.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Nick Karns urged the team to set their sights on Fernando Mendoza.
Karns shared a clip of one of Mendoza’s post-game interviews, gushing about the Indiana star’s leadership.
“The Browns need a LEADER. Listen to Fernando Mendoza credit everyone around him for their success. Watch Fernando Mendoza bring the Indiana Hoosiers football program back to life,” Karns posted on X.
The Browns need a LEADER.
Listen to Fernando Mendoza credit everyone around him for their success.
Watch Fernando Mendoza bring the Indiana Hoosiers football program back to life. pic.twitter.com/p4lmJzBRxO
— Nick Karns (@karnsies817) October 14, 2025
Mendoza is expected to be either the first or second quarterback off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
The class of 2026 was supposed to be absolutely stacked at the quarterback position, but most of them have struggled to live up to the hype throughout the course of the college football season.
Mendoza is one of the few exceptions.
The Browns will have two first-round picks in the draft, and if they continue to lose games at this rate, one of those picks is more than likely to fall in the top three.
As such, they should be in a strong position to take either Mendoza or any high-end quarterback of their choosing, with Oregon’s Dante Moore as another potential option.
However, a lot can still happen until the day of the NFL Draft.
The team will continue to evaluate Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to determine whether one of their rookies has what it takes to be the franchise’s savior.
Otherwise, they will have no choice but to get back to the drawing board and start over with another gunslinger.
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