Status checked Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at 7:00 AM PT.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings on deadline day and named Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, their starting quarterback the same afternoon. His first NFL start is Sunday, Nov. 15, at home against the Seattle Seahawks. Here is what changed, what the numbers say so far, and what to watch this week.
What the Raiders announced on deadline day
The Raiders traded Cousins to Minnesota for a third-round pick in the 2027 draft, the team announced Tuesday, Nov. 10 (Raiders.com trade announcement). The deal was pending Cousins passing a physical when it was announced. The trade deadline was 1:00 p.m. PT that day.
General manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak then named Mendoza the starter (Raiders.com on Mendoza being named the starter). Spytek said Mendoza "passed every test" and that his growth as "a person, as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback" put the team "in a position where we had to make a very hard decision today." Kubiak said Mendoza's "work habits also allowed us to make this trade because we feel that he's ready to go."
Kirk Cousins' nine starts in Las Vegas
Cousins started all nine Raiders games this season. Per the Raiders, he completed 202 of 315 passes (64.1%) for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, with a 97.1 passer rating and two rushing touchdowns. Las Vegas is 4-5 after a 38-17 loss at San Francisco in Week 9, a game in which the Raiders committed five turnovers after halftime and ran for 24 yards on 15 carries (Raiders.com Week 9 recap).
Raiders quarterback change at a glance. Sources: Raiders.com, Vikings.com, Seahawks.com, checked Nov. 11.
Fernando Mendoza's path to the starting job
The Raiders drafted Mendoza first overall after he won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship at Indiana. In his 2025 season there, he completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards and a nation-leading 41 touchdown passes, per the Raiders.
His only regular-season NFL action so far came late in a 45-17 Week 5 loss at New England, where he completed 75% of his passes for 48 yards. Sunday will be his first NFL start.
Why Minnesota brought Cousins back
Cousins played six seasons for the Vikings (2018-23), then two in Atlanta before signing with Las Vegas in April, where Kubiak, a former Vikings quarterbacks coach, is in his first year as head coach (Vikings.com on the Cousins trade). He is 38.
The Vikings are 6-2 and were without their starter. Kyler Murray missed Week 9 with a hamstring strain that head coach Kevin O'Connell called "week-to-week," and Carson Wentz started in his place (Vikings.com on Murray's hamstring). Minnesota then lost 23-6 to Buffalo on Monday night. Our Week 9 takeaways list the other deadline-day deals.
First start: Seahawks at Raiders on Sunday
Seattle (5-4) visits Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS (Seahawks.com how-to-watch page). Kickoff times for every game are in our NFL Week 10 schedule with TV channels.
The Seahawks are dealing with their own quarterback injuries. Head coach Mike Macdonald said Monday that Sam Darnold (quadriceps and ribs) will miss another week and that Drew Lock is expected to start again while managing an oblique injury (Seahawks.com on Lock's status).
Raiders fans at Allegiant Stadium, where Mendoza makes his first start. Photo: All-Pro Reels via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
What to watch in Mendoza's debut
- Ball security. The Raiders turned it over five times in the second half against the 49ers. Fewer giveaways is the first thing to look for with a new starter.
- The run game. Kubiak said after the 49ers loss that "the game has to be balanced." Las Vegas ran for 24 yards that day, which put more weight on the passing game.
- Seattle's lineup. Wednesday's injury report is the first official look at who plays for the Seahawks. Our guide to questionable and doubtful injury designations explains the labels.
Trades are closed for the season
With the deadline passed, no more trades are allowed this season, so any other quarterback the Raiders add would have to come through free agency or waivers. Our explainer on how teams still add players after the deadline covers those options, and the Colts deadline update covers the other big seller.
Featured photo: Fernando Mendoza at the 2026 Rose Bowl, by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hetlage, U.S. Air Force, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
