The New Orleans Saints are currently the worst team in the league, and their spiral downward began in the offseason when Derek Carr retired suddenly. This left the Saints with Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough at quarterback, but neither option seemed like a franchise quarterback.

The Saints began the season by starting Rattler at quarterback. He made it through half the season before the Saints opted to bench him in favor of Shough. Rattler wasn’t bad for the Saints, but they needed a change of face under center.

Shough doesn’t look like a franchise option either, but the Saints used a second-round pick on him in this year’s draft. They need to give him a fair chance to prove his value to the team before the offseason, so giving him the last few weeks of the season makes a lot of sense. But the Saints will still likely look to upgrade at the position in the offseason.

FanSided’s Cody Williams recently put together a mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft after the trade deadline. With the No. 1 pick in the draft, Williams projected the Saints would select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza to take over for Shough as the team’s franchise quarterback.

Fernando Mendoza could be the perfect target for the Saints

“No change for the Saints here. Tyler Shough’s debut certainly didn’t move me (or hopefully anyone) and it feels near inevitable that New Orleans will turn the page again at quarterback,” Williams wrote. “Fernando Mendoza remains my surest bet at the position with the blend of arm strength, accuracy, mobility and experience. There’s more work to do for the Saints, but he gives them a legit cornerstone.”

Mendoza has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country this year. He’s a potential star at the most important position on the field. The Saints need a quarterback more than anything, and Mendoza seems like the best option.

Mendoza would almost certainly be an upgrade over Shough. The Indiana quarterback could be the spark that the Saints need to turn their franchise around. If they have the top pick in the draft, this seems like the clear selection right now.