Raiders Name Fernando Mendoza Their Starting Quarterback After Trading Kirk Cousins to the Vikings

HENDERSON, Nev. The Raiders did not wait long to turn the page. Hours after trading Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, general manager John Spytek named Fernando Mendoza the team's starting quarterback, ESPN reported. The 2026 No. 1 overall pick will make his first NFL start Sunday at Allegiant Stadium against the Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions.

The Raiders announced that they sent Cousins to Minnesota for a 2027 third-round draft pick, with the deal pending Cousins passing a physical. Undrafted covered the trade as it came together Tuesday afternoon, ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline.

"He passed every test"

Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak met with reporters after the deadline, and Spytek made clear the decision was earned on the practice field.

"It's something that he's worked very hard for since the moment he walked into this building," Spytek said, per ESPN. "I want to stop short of saying he's earned it, but he put us in a position where we had to make a really hard decision today, with his growth as a person, as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback."

He added that Mendoza "performed at a level in practice that was impossible to ignore."

Kubiak said Mendoza "exceeded" the team's expectations in practice, ESPN reported. While he waited his turn, Mendoza carried himself like a starter. He wore his helmet through games and stood close to quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan, reciting the playcalls he heard through his helmet's headset. He spent late nights on the team's indoor practice field going over the game plan, and Kubiak saw him improve his accuracy, his command of the offense, his ability to get in and out of the huddle and his two-minute operation. Mendoza was in the building Tuesday studying for Seattle.

"He's prepared," Kubiak said in the team's official announcement. "He practices extremely well and his work habits also allowed us to make this trade because we feel that he's ready to go. And we're excited for him to take the ball for the game here this Sunday."

Not a white flag

Las Vegas is 4-5 and, per ESPN, still in the playoff hunt. FOX Sports has the Raiders third in the AFC West. Spytek pushed back on the idea that moving Cousins means the team is looking ahead to 2027.

"That is not the intention of this," Spytek said. "We have a big game this week against the defending world champs, and we intend to attack it like we would any week. That's expected of us."

The schedule will not ease Mendoza in. FOX Sports noted that his first two starts come against the Seahawks and the Denver Broncos, two of the league's top defenses.

What Mendoza brings

The Raiders drafted Mendoza first overall after his lone season at Indiana. He won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to their first national title, setting career highs with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes, a 72% completion rate and a 90.3 QBR, according to ESPN. His 41 touchdown passes led the nation, per the Raiders.

His only regular-season action so far came late in a Week 5 loss at New England, where he completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards, ESPN reported. New England won that game 45-17, per FOX Sports.

ESPN reported that Las Vegas liked how Mendoza's accuracy, athleticism and football IQ fit Kubiak's scheme, but also wanted to be patient with his development. Spytek said those plans were discussed with Mendoza in his predraft interview. The Raiders intended to open the season with Cousins until something changed, whether that was the level of play, the team's results or Mendoza proving he was ready.

How the Cousins chapter ended

Cousins did what Las Vegas asked. In nine starts he completed 202 of 315 passes for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 97.1 passer rating, and he added two rushing touchdowns, according to the Raiders. ESPN noted he helped the club pass last season's win total.

His final start was the Week 9 loss to San Francisco, when he completed 22 of 32 passes for 216 yards with two total touchdowns and three interceptions in a 38-17 defeat. Both Spytek and Kubiak described moving on as difficult, ESPN reported, and Kubiak said Cousins' influence on Mendoza and the locker room will carry through the rest of the season.

Now the job belongs to the rookie. Seattle visits Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, and the Raiders' bet on their No. 1 pick gets its first real test.

For more, read ESPN's story and the Raiders' trade release.

Sources: Las Vegas Raiders, ESPN, FOX Sports. More NFL coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Michael Clemens/Las Vegas Raiders (file photo from Oct. 11, 2026, at New England)