Fernando Mendoza Named Raiders’ Week 10 Starter; Kirk Cousins Traded to Vikings

The Las Vegas Raiders named Fernando Mendoza their starting quarterback for Week 10 on Tuesday, handing the offense to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for his first NFL start Sunday against Seattle.

The decision, which the team said was made by coach Klint Kubiak, formalizes the Raiders’ midseason shift from veteran Kirk Cousins to the rookie they drafted to lead the franchise. The move came the same day Las Vegas traded Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round pick, a deal Minnesota said is pending a physical. Cousins had started the Raiders’ first nine games of the season.

Mendoza is set to start Sunday, Nov. 15, when the Raiders host the Seattle Seahawks at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Kickoff is listed for 4:05 p.m. ET, or 1:05 p.m. local time. The Raiders entered Week 10 with a 4-5 record.

The announcement marks a notable turn for a team that opened the season with Cousins under center while Mendoza developed behind him. Public roster and depth-chart listings after the Cousins trade showed Mendoza as QB1, with Aidan O’Connell still on the roster as the Raiders’ other quarterback option.

Mendoza arrived in the NFL with one of the strongest recent college résumés for a quarterback prospect. He won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to a 16-0 season and the College Football Playoff national championship in 2025 before the Raiders selected him first overall on April 23, 2026.

During that final college season, Mendoza completed 273 of 379 passes, a 72.0% rate, for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. That production, combined with Indiana’s undefeated run, made him one of the most decorated quarterback prospects in the draft class and the centerpiece of the Raiders’ long-term plans at the position.

His NFL experience so far has been limited. Mendoza has appeared in one regular-season game, at New England in Week 5 on Oct. 11. In that outing, he completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards and added a 3-yard rush.

“It is good experience to have some regular season snaps to go off of, evaluate and get better from,” Mendoza said after that appearance, according to Raiders.com.

Now those developmental snaps give way to a starting assignment. By naming Mendoza the starter after moving Cousins, the Raiders have made their clearest statement yet that the midseason handoff is complete and that the quarterback they drafted first overall is now leading the offense.