Fernando Mendoza made his first NFL start Sunday, and the Las Vegas Raiders rookie owes the opportunity to a deadline-day deal that sent Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round pick.
On his first drive as starter, Mendoza finished off a solid performance with a rushing touchdown.
The trade turned a planned apprenticeship into a debut at Allegiant Stadium against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and it forces the 4-5 Raiders to find out whether the No. 1 overall pick is ready for the NFL’s stingiest defense.
Minnesota reached out on deadline day, and Raiders general manager John Spytek said the team had not been shopping Cousins. Talks moved quickly from there. The Vikings, who opened 6-2 behind their defense, had run into quarterback trouble involving Carson Wentz and an injured Kyler Murray.
Cousins, 38, signed in free agency as a one-year bridge while Mendoza developed. In nine starts, he went 4-5 and completed about 64% of passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
On Sunday, Cousins started at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers and completed 21 of 31 passes for 207 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Minnesota won 30-10, snapping a two-game skid and sweeping the season series, all without T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings.
Las Vegas Raiders Statements on Fernando Mendoza’s Starting Timeline
The Raiders never hid their preference for patience. “Ideally, you don’t want him to start from day one, but that’s a perfect world,” head coach Klint Kubiak said before the season began, according to NFL.com.
Kubiak added that a young passer gains from watching an experienced one run an offense, and that the call would hinge on Mendoza’s own readiness. Spytek wanted to ease Mendoza into the job behind a veteran, a deep supporting cast and a strong defense. Owner Mark Davis felt no pressure to rush the rookie.
Once the season started, Cousins stayed starter while the team competed, and Kubiak praised Mendoza’s preparation. Mendoza’s only game action came in garbage time of a 45-17 loss at New England in Week 5, when he went 6 of 8 for 48 yards.
The trade changed the tone. Spytek credited Mendoza’s growth as a leader, saying the rookie “passed every test,” according to ESPN. Kubiak said the rookie “exceeded” expectations in practice and would operate the full playbook.
The move was coming regardless. If the Raiders had lost to Seattle and then Denver to fall to 4-7, Mendoza was set to start Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns, according to NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport.
Mendoza called it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and knew nothing of the trade beforehand. He also thanked Cousins for sharing knowledge freely, including with his family.
Fernando Mendoza’s Path From California to the Las Vegas Raiders
Mendoza started at California in 2023 and 2024, throwing for 1,708 yards and 14 touchdowns the first year and 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns the second. He earned a degree from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, then transferred to Indiana.
Under coach Curt Cignetti in 2025, Mendoza led Indiana to a 16-0 season and the program’s first national championship, beating Alabama, Oregon and Miami in the College Football Playoff. He threw for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions, became Indiana’s first Heisman Trophy winner and earned offensive MVP honors in the title game.
Now he faces a Seattle defense allowing a league-low 244 or so yards per game, with the Raiders at 4-5 and Cousins in Minnesota.
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