Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline reshaped the paths of two former Cal players in a big way, sending Fernando Mendoza into the Raiders’ starting job and Keenan Allen into a much more promising situation in San Francisco.
Mendoza, who turned 23 last month, is suddenly the man in Las Vegas after the Raiders dealt starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round draft pick. The move makes Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft after winning the Heisman Trophy for national champion Indiana, the Raiders’ starter for his first NFL start against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks.
The timing is brutal and dramatic all at once. Mendoza has appeared in only one game this season, and that was for 15 plays in the fourth quarter of Las Vegas’ 45-17 loss to the Patriots on October 11.
In that brief cameo, he completed 6-of-8 passes for 47 yards and added one scramble for 3 yards. Now he is being thrown straight at last season’s Super Bowl champs, with the Raiders sitting at 4-5 after losing five of their last six.
The Raiders’ decision to move Cousins says plenty about how they view their season. They were coming off a 38-17 loss to the 49ers two days earlier, and apparently decided their playoff odds were thin enough to cash out their starter for a draft pick.
Allen’s deadline day was the opposite. The 49ers acquired him from the Indianapolis Colts for a sixth-round 2027 draft choice, and he goes from a 2-7 team to a 7-1 San Francisco squad with Super Bowl aspirations and a clear need for another wideout.
Allen, now 34, also slides deeper into the strange little club of former Cal players who are hanging around the league at advanced ages. Aaron Rodgers, who turns 43 in less than a month, is the NFL’s oldest player and its oldest quarterback.
Cam Jordan, 37, is the second-oldest defensive end in the league behind 40-year-old Calais Campbell, who sometimes lines up at defensive tackle. Bryan Anger, 38, is the oldest active punter, though Thomas Morstead, 40, is on the Titans practice squad.
Allen is the oldest wide receiver in the NFL, a few months older than Odell Beckham Jr. and nearly a year older than Davante Adams.
The veteran group from Cal still has some Hall of Fame possibilities attached to it. Rodgers, a four-time MVP, is already headed there. Jordan and Allen both have a shot too.
Jordan has played in seven games this season, with one start, and has yet to record a sack. But his career total of 132 sacks ranks second among active players behind Von Miller and 17th all time.
Twelve of the 15 players ahead of him, not counting Miller, are already in the Hall of Fame, and the three retired players directly behind him are there too. If Jordan gets one sack this season, he would move past Lawrence Taylor, which would strengthen his case even more.
Anger’s odds are longer, since Ray Guy is the only punter in the Hall of Fame. Still, Anger has built a strong resume with two second-team All-Pro selections and 15 seasons as a regular punter. This year he has placed 14 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and has not had a punt touchback this season or last season.
Allen’s case looks strong as well, and his production still looks like that of a top receiver. He had 40 catches for 341 yards with the Colts this season, and his career total now stands at 1,095 receptions, eighth all time.
He needs eight more catches with the 49ers to move up to sixth. Five of the seven players ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame, and the other two - Jason Witten and Travis Kelce - are expected to get there eventually.
The two receivers right behind him in career catches, Tim Brown and Terrell Owens, are already enshrined. Former Cal tight end Tony Gonzalez is third all time in receptions and is also in the Hall.
The numbers point Allen toward Canton, especially now that Brock Purdy will be the one delivering him the ball.
Mendoza, meanwhile, is still at the beginning of the road. After the Seahawks, the Raiders head to Denver to face the 7-2 Broncos, a tough assignment in one of the league’s toughest road environments. The Broncos were 8-1 at home last season and are 4-0 at home this year, with wins over the Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks and Rams at Mile High Stadium.
In Other News...
Ron Rivera Just Put Tosh Lupois Cal Future Under A Harsh Spotlight
Ron Rivera did not exactly soften the picture around Cals football program this week. The Bears general manager publicly addressed the challenges facing head coach Tosh Lupoi during a 3-6 season, pointing to a staff still trying to find its footing in areas like coaching experience, penalties and overall discipline. Rivera said Lupoi has been getting advice from a range of mentors, but also made clear that the job now requires more than suggestions and support.
The broader message was one of urgency without a clean answer. Rivera suggested it may be too soon to talk seriously about moving on from Lupoi, even as the on-field issues continue to pile up, because the programs next step is tied to more than just frustration over results. For Cal, the question is no longer whether the season has gone off track. It is whether Lupoi can sharpen the coaching, steady the culture and give the Bears a reason to believe the current direction is worth sticking with. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Just Got A Wake-Up Call Before USC Arrives
Mark Madsen was back on the sideline after a family emergency, but Cals trip to the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic still ended with a sobering reminder of how much work remains. The Bears fell 86-68 to No. 10 Houston, and the problems were hard to miss: shaky defense, too many giveaways, and a game that got away from them before they could settle in.
Cal was especially vulnerable inside, where Houston repeatedly controlled the action, and the Bears also coughed up 16 turnovers in a loss that exposed several areas in need of tightening. The timing makes it even more notable, with No. 21 USC up next at Haas Pavilion, giving Cal little time to clean things up before another ranked opponent arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Kingston Lopa Gives Cal Fans A Bright Spot Worth Watching
Kingston Lopas season has already given Cal something to point to on the defensive side, and now it has earned him national recognition as well. The Bears safety was named one of the semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, the honor given to the countrys top defensive player, a notable nod for a player who has been central to Cals back end even while dealing with a concussion that cost him two games.
For Cal, the selection is also a reminder of how much impact Lopa has made in a relatively short stretch. He has been one of the nations most productive defensive backs in both interceptions and pass coverage, and he becomes the fourth Cal player to reach semifinalist status for the award. The bigger question now is how far that kind of season can carry him, and whether the Bears can keep getting the same kind of play from him down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]