What was once the biggest interview of a player’s life has become, in the words of one man who lived it, “a joke.” And former Los Angeles Chargers DT Breiden Fehoko has had enough.

“Stop inviting dudes to the combine who won’t test,” Fehoko fired off on X, cutting through the NFL Combine noise. “There’s hundreds of hungry dudes out there who are starving for a sliver of opportunity to test at the combine.”

“It’s become a joke,” Fehoko continued. “The combine used to be the biggest interview of your life. Now it’s become a beauty pageant.”

Breiden Fehoko’s frustration has a face to it in 2026: Fernando Mendoza, among many others. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and projected No. 1 overall pick confirmed that he won’t be throwing at Lucas Oil Stadium, opting instead to wait for Indiana’s Pro Day with his own receivers. Mendoza’s reason? Familiarity.

“At the combine, you’re throwing to different receivers, the whole different thing,” Mendoza said on the Pat McAfee Show. “I want to make sure that I give my guys the best chance, so I want to throw at pro day with my guys, with my running backs and be there with the boys.”

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It’s a calculated move that the Las Vegas Raiders (who are expected to take him first overall) could actually be comfortable with. The Raiders will be in attendance at Indiana’s pro day on April 1, and reports suggest they will hold a private workout with Mendoza there.

While Mendoza chooses to stay back, for Breiden Fehoko, comfort is exactly the problem. The combine was never supposed to be comfortable. Instead, it was supposed to be the crucible that shapes the coming season. Now, top prospects are declining on-field participation, while lesser-known hopefuls would spring barefoot through Indianapolis just for a chance.

This isn’t an isolated grievance from a former player, either. The pattern is real: elite prospects increasingly treat the combine as optional, a red carpet rather than a proving ground. The last three first-overall picks, Bryce Young in ‘23, Caleb Williams in ‘24, and Cam Ward in ‘25, also chose not to show up.

But for Fehoko, the Combine critique is only part of a larger, more urgent conversation.

When the league goes silent

The death of Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore at just 25 years old – reportedly by a self-inflicted g**shot wound – stopped Breiden cold. He didn’t post a prayer emoji and move on. Instead, he fired straight at the league.

“These NFL teams come out here and post these mental health awareness posts talking about they care about players, ‘don’t be afraid to reach out’ etc.” Fehoko wrote on X. “All they care about is what you bring to the table when it’s game day.”

“Most players don’t wanna get help inside the building of an NFL organization because they know you’ll get looked at differently,” Fehoko continued. “You go to a staff member tell em you struggling watch how different they start treating and looking at you. I seen it first hand.”

Breiden’s point is simple. When a player knows that asking for help could cost him his roster spot, the problem isn’t awareness; it’s the incentive itself.

Fehoko also shared a story about his own playing days to drive the point home in a separate tweet. When his son was born, his coach called him up. And instead of offering congratulations, the coach notably said, “Remember what your day job is.” That’s Fehoko’s first-hand experience of the gap between a league’s branding and its behavior. 

Rondale Moore played zero regular-season games in 2025. Injured, sidelined, and increasingly invisible to the league that once made him a second-round pick. Breiden Fehoko’s words land harder because of it, not as commentary, but as an indictment.