Updated November 10, 2026, 9:14 p.m. ET
Fernandomania officially began in the desert.
With the Las Vegas Raiders trading quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, Las Vegas is expected to turn to Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the draft earlier this year, at center.
Mendoza is scheduled to make his first career start against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at home on Sunday, November 15 (4:05 a.m. ET).
Mendoza’s only regular season action came in his debut, late in a Week 4 road loss to the New England Patriots on October 11. He completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards. General manager John Spytek confirmed Mendoza will be the team’s starter during a press conference on November 10.
“He passed all the tests,” Spytek said. “I don’t want to say he deserved it, but he put us in a position where we had to make a very difficult decision today, with his growth as a person, as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback.”
Spytek said he never called Cousins and that discussions with the Vikings began in earnest Tuesday morning following the Vikings’ 23-6 drubbing on “Monday Night Football” at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. The organization was clear with Cousins when he signed him to a one-year deal in March that Mendoza is obviously the future of the franchise.
Cousins and Spytek met before the trade was completed. Although it wasn’t an easy conversation, Spytek said, it was productive and the Raiders felt it was important to show him respect as a 15-year veteran.
“We are all looking to the future here with Fernando,” said Spytek, who is in his second year as general manager of the “Argent et Noir”.
Added Spytek: “We basically had to decide do we want to move forward here over the last eight games, or do we want to take what Minnesota is offering right now? Ultimately, we decided to do that.”
Mendoza’s first two opponents feature vaunted defensive units. Seattle’s defense, nicknamed the “dark side” for good reason, did not allow a touchdown last week to the undermanned Arizona Cardinals. Looking ahead, the Raiders will face the Denver Broncos on the road in Week 11, then the Cleveland Browns. Denver ranks in the top 10 in points allowed per game (20.7), sacks (26) and takeaways (12).
“Fernando has everything we asked of him in training,” said head coach Klint Kubiak. “I think he exceeded those expectations, and we all know that live bullet Sunday is a lot different than practice. However, he showed us that he’s ready, not only physically but mentally. He’s studying up there right now like he would for any other game. He’s putting a lot of work into it. His teammates know how prepared he is. It’s not just lip service, but he showed it on the practice field.”
Kubiak explained the number of ways Cousins influenced Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Examples he gave included working on a progression, recognizing blitzes, taking care of the body and ways to connect with teammates, Kubiak said, “There’s a lot more to playing that position than what your coaches tell you in the meeting room.”
“I think Kirk embodied all the good things there, how to prepare and how to be a professional, and really, when things aren’t going well, what buttons to push on your teammates and what questions to ask your coaches,” Kubiak said. “It’s a never-ending list of all the positive things.”
On his Instagram Story, Cousins said goodbye to “Raider Nation” and sent a message to Mendoza, who Cousins tagged in the post.
“Go get em (sic),” Cousins wrote.
“I think Fernando did a great job,” Cousins told reporters on October 26. “He has a bright future ahead of him. I’m going to try to go out there and play the best I can, try to win and give him a good example to learn from.”
The difficult problem for Mendoza on the field will be the lack of a rushing attack for the Raiders. First-round talent Ashton Jeanty from the 2025 draft didn’t pan out, although rookie Mike Washington showed some juice in the backfield. Still, Las Vegas ranks 31st in rushing yards per game (71.3) and is last in yards per carry (2.9).
Similar to Cousins, Mendoza will likely have to shoulder a large portion of the Raiders’ offensive production.
“The game has to be balanced,” Kubiak said after the team’s most recent loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which dropped their record to 4-5. “You can’t be a team that runs and throws when you throw every time. It’s not easy.
“We have to start the game a lot faster. We have to compete in the first half so that the second half is not a festival of shots.”
The good news is that tight end Brock Bowers ranks ninth in the league in receiving yards and is a crucial target in the red zone with six touchdowns already this season. Wide receiver Tre Tucker has emerged as a reliable downfield option for Cousins, giving Mendoza more relief in the passing game.
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