Combine Confidential: Offseason QB Carousel Chatter - Talk of the Town In Indy
All Access Football is on location in for the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, where the topic of quarterback destinations dominated the first day of Indianapolis.
AAF Combine Confidential Presented By Sports Management Worldwide. Do you plan to be at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis? Join SMWW & AAF at the Inside The League Scouting Awards on Wednesday, February 26th, 5:30pm at the ICC.
SPORTS RAGE: INSIDE THE NFL COMBINE
Sports Rage host Gabriel Morency welcomes AAF founder Ric Serritella to the show every Tuesday to discuss the latest NFL Draft developments. In this episode, a breakdown of what to expect this week in Indianapolis, as the NFL universe converges on downtown Indianapolis, a look at some potential Day 2 value picks who could make a name for themself at the combine, plus a look at the new UFL rule changes.
COMBINE CONFIDENTIAL: NFL QB CAROUSEL SHAPES UP
The buzz in Indianapolis revolves around the expected changes at the crucial quarterback position expected to occur this offseason. Many signal-callers are assumed to have new address for the 2026 campaign and we have our ears to the ground with the latest QB carousel, which has already begun to take shape.
Keep reading below for updates on the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers and others, along with some potential trade candidates who are drawing mass interest.
All Access Football has an army of boots on the ground this week for our ‘Combine Confidential’ series, as we count you down to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, just 57 days away!
MENDOZA A FIT IN VEGAS BUT LACKS ONE KEY TRAIT
The Las Vegas Raiders are widely assumed to select Indiana Hoosiers Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No.1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. When asked on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine what he is specifically looking for from a franchise quarterback, new Raiders general manager John Spytek seemed to describe Mendoza perfectly during his response.
“Well, a leader, tough as hell, somebody that loves to play football, maniacal preparer,” Spytek stated. “Obviously, somebody that can throw the ball well, but I think just somebody that loves the game and will give everything their teammate, a selfless person, somebody that’s going to give their team everything that they got every time that they’re out there, prepare the right way, lead the right way. I think there’s a great humility and selflessness required to play that position at a high level.”
Based on the breakdown provided, it would seem to be a great match with new head coach Klint Kubiak, one of the great young offensive minds in the NFL. However, Kubiak requires his signal-caller to line up under the center often due to frequent two-and-three tight end formations predicated around a heavy ground game, something Mendoza has little-to-no experience doing during his time in Bloomington. Spytek elaborated on the importance of this element when asked the hardest part about evaluating quarterbacks.
“If they can take a snap from under center right now? It’s the hardest position to evaluate,” he said. “So much is required of those guys, and trying to have a vision for how they played in whatever offense they were asked to run in college and how they’re going to fit into ours, and then how they’re going to handle the pressure that comes with being one-of-32 in the world is a lot.”
Clearly, there will be some refinement in that area which Mendoza will need to develop. While Mendoza demonstrated total command of the offense, the Hoosiers rarely huddled, or lined up under center. This will be the one of the biggest adjustments as he transitions to the pros.
CARDINALS NONCOMMITTAL TO MURRAY; MULLING OPTIONS
For teams seeking to upgrade the quarterback position such as the Arizona Cardinals, who select No.2 overall in the draft, the best available options are likely to be via free agency. On Tuesday, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort acknowledged that last season was not up to standard and frustrations extended to veteran signal-caller Kyler Murray, who the team remains non-committal to, as they weight their options. While a return has yet to be ruled out, conversations are ongoing.
“I’ve always had a good dialogue with Kyler. I’d say, it wasn’t up to what Kyler wanted, it wasn’t up to what any of us wanted, as the season as a whole,” Ossenfort disclosed. “When you had the kind of year that we had, there’s a lot of room for improvement. We’ve gotta find a way to do that. Not only at that position, at all positions. But that’s what we’re all focused on is getting better and moving forward.”
When Murray went down due to injury this season, he relinquished his starting job to journeyman Jacoby Brissett, who set career-highs across the board in completion percentage (64.9%), passing yards (3,366) and passing touchdowns (23). He remains under contract for 2026 at a premium value ($9M). With Brissett in tow, Arizona may feel a bit more comfortable moving on from Murray, who was the No.1 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
In terms of where the organization might turn with the second overall pick, it remains a work in progress. “I’m open for taking the best player at our pick, no matter what position it is and so whenever it’s time to peel a name off the board, we’re gonna take the best player,” Ossenfort stated.
“Often times, that’s not due to whatever position it is, it’s cause we think that’s the best value at the position. So there’s a lot of quarterbacks in this draft. We’ll continue to evaluate them. This will be another step in that evaluation process. We’re at a good spot in where we’re at, based on our scouts’ fall reports, the all-star game process, some of the guys played down there. So that’s another group that we’ve got a couple months here of evaluation, we’ll be ready to go on that position.”
One quarterback who has been linked to Arizona is free agent to be Malik Willis, who has flashed during his three spot-starts while filling in for Jordan Love the past two years in Green Bay. Willis was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans, where Ossenfort was a member of the team’s front office at the time. Based on whispers in Indy, the 2022 third round pick is expected to command around $30M annually on the open market. In comparison, Murray is slated to count $42.5M against the cap in 2026.
TRADE SUITORS: BEARS COULD DANGLE BAGENT AS BAIT
During his podium appearance at the combine, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles revealed that backup quarterback Tyson Bagent has garnered significant interest from NFL teams, leading to speculation that the 2025 preseason star could be available via trade this offseason.
