When someone is adamant that Fernando Mendoza is not
the right fit for the Raiders, it's bound to get tricky for them later on. Former Detroit Lions
quarterback Dan Orlovsky
, who is the most vocal figure of this train of thought, is facing the heat at his own network. But he refuses to back down from his point of view, and still believes that there is a better fit for the Raiders at quarterback in the draft.
Orlovsky has long favored Alabama's Ty Simpson
as the better fit over Mendoza, even though there is an overwhelming majority of experts who have pitched the Indiana QB as the No. 1 pick. Team co-owner Tom Brady likes Mendoza, and it's really a waiting game until the draft for Mendoza to suit up in Raiders colors. But to Dan Orlovsky, Ty Simpson is still the better quarterback for the team.
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"People won't say it, I will, Ty Simpson schematically is a better fit or marriage for what the Las Vegas Raiders
would do under Klint Kubiak than Fernando Mendoza," the analyst said. "Most of the things that he does, at least half of the things that he does from a scheme standpoint are underneath the centre… Fernando Mendoza took five snaps total from underneath the centre in his college career."
Orlovsky came prepared for this one. Since Kubik Klint became an offensive coordinator. 51% of his offenses' snaps have come from under center. Mendoza has played shotgun throughout most of his career. Playing under center is key in the league, and it's something the QB has to work on. Orlovsky figured that Mendoza would still need two to three years to work this out.
Ty Simpson, on the other hand, is experienced in playing under center. He checks the box for teams that prefer their quarterback at this position, including the Raiders. But Simpson loses out to Mendoza in terms of starting experience, having been one for only one full season. Even in stature and arm strength-wise, the Indiana QB is the better candidate. Simpson is the clear QB2 in the 2026 draft, which is why Orlovsky's support matters. This puts the Raiders in a conundrum: do they go for the quarterback who is not Mendoza, but has played under center, or do they draft Mendoza and wait for him to adjust to playing under center?
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Whatever the team does, however, doesn't help Orlovsky put out the fire
he is left to face at ESPN. ESPN might not return the members of its No. 2 NFL booth, which are Orlovsky, Chris Fowler, and Louis Riddick Jr., as part of its new merger with the NFL Network. Whether or not Orlovsky's support for Simpson going to the Raiders has played into this is not known, but it has created a lot of public disdain for him and the network. Stephen A. Smith, however, is batting for him.
Dan Orlovsky sees support from Stephen A. Smith after ESPN troubles
According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, ESPN is considering such a move because scheduling problems would arise if this secondary team is charged with the coverage of international games. Most of NFL Network's coverage happens overseas, which would impact the routines of Fowler and Orlovsky. But Smith sent a message to ESPN in support of Dan.
"To the bosses at ESPN, we need to cherish the people that we have. I don't think Dan Orlovsky's gonna be here too much longer, because this man knows his damn football, and somebody's gonna get smart enough and scoop him up," said Smith. Orlovsky may not be off the network entirely. Just this week, ESPN had Dan's son, Madden, participate in a short but emotional segment in honor of World Autism Day. It had the Orlovsky in tears, and the segment was a hit. But how long can the network withstand his bold takes on Fernando Mendoza? Appearing on the Pat McAfee show, Dan Orlovsky also claimed that Ty Simpson has played bigger games than National Championship winner Fernando Mendoza. Simpson struggled in the SEC Championship game and in the Rose Bowl, seeing no success in the postseason as such. But according to Orlovsky, Mendoza's worth as a 'big game' player was not as much, referring to Indiana having just six points on the board through three quarters in the National Championship game. Remarks like that might be forcing ESPN to think carefully about the controversial analyst now.
