The Cleveland Browns’ season ended in Week 14 with a 31-29 loss to the Tennessee Titans, ending playoff hopes. Rookie QB Shedeur Sanders impressed early but faltered in the third quarter, missing easy passes and making poor decisions, then had a chance to turn the game around in the fourth.
The fact that hopes of reaching the postseason have been dashed is sparking new debates about the QB position for 2026, and Fernando Mendoza’s name has emerged as a possible solution for the franchise.
Fernando Mendoza Could Be the Solution for the Cleveland Browns
Missing the postseason has sparked debate about who will be the starting quarterback next season. Some look to current options while others favor the 2026 NFL Draft. Ken Carman, on “The Fan Studio” with Anthony Lima, named Mendoza, the leader of an undefeated Indiana team, as his top candidate for Browns QB.
“Fernando Mendoza, good QB. I watched the postgame, I had to look away I was cringing… I have a likeable QB who says the right things, I love his father, why would I not want him to be successful?” Carman said.
“Fernando Mendoza, good QB. I watched the postgame, I had to look away I was cringing… I have a likeable QB who says the right things, I love his father, why would I not want him to be successful?”@KenCarman tells @SportsBoyTony why he wants Shedeur to succeed in Cleveland🔥 pic.twitter.com/dkzuJ55ZYP
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) December 9, 2025
The Browns will likely have a top Draft pick after the Travis Hunter trade in 2025, allowing them to secure their preferred QB ahead of rivals.
Mendoza Is the Favorite To Win the Heisman Trophy
Mendoza stands out as the Browns’ best pick, bringing the needed physical tools and NFL potential to a team that ranks 32nd in the PFSN Offense Impact metric, earning an F grade. He is rated higher than Dillon Gabriel, with media highlighting his professionalism and consistently high-level play at Indiana.
Mendoza, a Heisman favorite, led Indiana to the Big Ten title under Curt Cignetti, posting 33 touchdowns and six interceptions, including a record 63-10 win over Illinois.
Choosing Mendoza depends on management’s decisions, mainly whether the controversial coach, Kevin Stefanski, stays, since dismissal seems unlikely at this point. At the very least, Mendoza’s similarities to Kirk Cousins could benefit Stefanski, given their past partnership with the Vikings.
Meanwhile, Sanders will remain the Browns’ starting quarterback until the end of the current regular season and will continue to try to convince fans that he deserves another shot at the starting job in 2026.
Currently fourth in the AFC North with a 2-9 record, behind the Cincinnati Bengals (4-9), Baltimore Ravens (6-7), and Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6), the Browns will face the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Steelers, and Bengals in the coming weeks before officially beginning plans for next season.
