Fernando Mendoza faces backlash over resurfaced 2020 George Floyd comment; fans rush to his defense

NFL Draft prospect Fernando Mendoza faces scrutiny over past comments during the George Floyd protests.

Updated on: Apr 14, 2026, 22:36:03 IST

Edited by HT US Desk

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Top NFL Draft prospect Fernando Mendoza is facing scrutiny after alleged past comments made during the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza gives a thumbs up after an interview with NFL Network at the school's NFL football pro day. (AP)

The Heisman trophy winner, then in high school, allegedly commented on a social media post by Lebron James. The post showed a photo of the kneeling police officer along with a photo of a kneeling Colin Kaepernick. "This...Is Why," the post read.

Mendoza’s comment

Six years ago, Mendoza had allegedly commented “You need to explain the context of the first photo of the cop on the man, because you never know what he did wrong 🤷‍♂️” on Lebron’s post.

Recently, the post was reshared by pop crave that created a commotion online. Pop Crave has the following of 3 million and the post’s views had gone up to 8.5 million as on last Thursday.

Fans defend Mendoza

The timing of the controversy is particularly significant with teams finalizing their evaluations and ahead of the draft. Even though Mendoza was 16 years old during the time of the comment, he is still facing criticism for his remark.

“He was like 16 when he commented that… so as long as he doesn’t act like that rn, Idc.”, a user commented

Fans are defending Mendoza online. "So somebody is looking at 6+ year old posts and trying to bring cancel culture back? Boring," one fan wrote. Another fan wrote, “He's still going No. 1," talking about the impending results of the NFL draft.

"Oh no! This should hurt his draft stock so bad! He should definitely still be available at the 11th pick and the dolphins should not take him then!" was said by another fan sarcastically hinting that the controversy is irrelevant to the NFL draft results.

Also Read: AJ Brown trade update: Eagles' latest move gives Patriots a much-needed boost

Mendoza will not attend the draft in Pittsburgh

Mendoza, the expected first overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft will watch the show with family and friends from Miami. As per the reports, the player won’t be attending the event in Pittsburgh, said a person familiar with his plans to The Associated Press. The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be present and many celebrated players will be present to greet him.

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is in two weeks.

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HT US Desk
The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country. Our coverage includes the White House, Congress, US elections, immigration and visa updates, H-1B, green cards, Social Security, education, jobs, layoffs, the economy, technology and major policy changes. We also closely follow stories that matter to Indian and South Asian communities in the US. The desk covers major US sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, along with player news, injuries, schedules, results and major events. Entertainment coverage includes Hollywood, celebrities, television, streaming, music and pop culture. We also report on breaking developments, major incidents, weather, public safety, court cases and other stories making headlines across the country. When a major policy or news development affects people's everyday lives, the team works to explain what happened, what it means and what readers need to know. Alongside breaking news, the US Desk produces explainers and practical stories on topics such as immigration, Social Security, taxes, education, employment and government programmes. The team also works on science, tech, business and AI stories analyzing the impact they may have on people. The team follows developments throughout the day, keeping an eye on official announcements, public records, reliable news sources and what people are talking about across the US.Read More

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