Fernando Mendoza isn't throwing at the NFL combine this week. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news on Saturday night, right before fellow NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson would throw at the combine.
Pelissero then followed his news with another tweet explaining why Mendoza would not be throwing, noting an interview Mendoza did on The Pat McAfee Show during Super Bowl week. Here's the presumptive No. 1 pick in his own words:
"At the combine, you're throwing to different receivers, the whole different thing," said Mendoza. "And I want to make sure I give my guys the best chance. I want to throw at pro day with my guys, with my running backs and be there with the boys."
"The combine, I don't think throwing is going to be a priority," Mendoza continued. Just because it's such a quick turnaround. January 19th? I mean, I felt bad, like a lot of our guys on our team, like, luckily I'm in a better position that I don't gotta throw in the combine, but a lot of our guys... We had Kaelon Black play in the Senior Bowl. Game 17. That's a true NFL season."
So Mendoza wants to throw to his teammates which will both help him and hopefully make them look better as they make a case to be drafted as well, which some people already knew.
Schefter sharing this news two weeks later is a bit odd. Last offseason there was a report that Schefter had been banned from the McAfee show, but then he appeared on the show during the NFL season. Meanwhile, Pelissero, McAfee and Schefter are now all co-workers with ESPN acquiring the NFL Network.
Now they just all need to get on the same page.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Adam Schefter Confirms Reason Fernando Mendoza Said He Won’t Throw at NFL Combine.
