The Seahawks head into Week 10 with a lot still hanging in the balance, and the quarterback situation is right at the center of it.
Seattle is 5-4 after a 17-3 home win over the Arizona Cardinals, but the reigning Super Bowl champions are still chasing the 7-1 San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West. They’ve already dropped a home game to Kyle Shanahan’s team, so the margin for error is getting thin if they want to repeat as division champs.
The biggest question this week is who takes the snap for Seattle on Sunday. Sam Darnold is out, and Drew Lock is dealing with an oblique issue of his own. That leaves open the possibility that second-year pro Jalen Milroe could make his first NFL start.
Las Vegas, meanwhile, has no such uncertainty at quarterback. On Tuesday, the Raiders sent veteran Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round pick in 2027, clearing the way for 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza has appeared in only one game this season, and only in reserve duty.
Klint Kubiak, who served as Seattle’s offensive coordinator this past season, now has the Raiders at 4-5, one more win than the club had in 2025. An upset here would say plenty about a Las Vegas team that has taken steps forward, especially on offense.
These teams have crossed paths only six times since realignment in 2002, and they’ve split those meetings right down the middle. The most recent matchup came in 2022 at Lumen Field, where the Raiders pulled out a 40-34 overtime win.
The last time Las Vegas hosted Seattle in this series was in 2018, when Pete Carroll’s Seahawks beat the Raiders 27-3 in London. This will be Seattle’s first regular-season game in Las Vegas, though the Seahawks did lose a preseason game at Allegiant Stadium in 2021.
There’s also a clear blueprint for Seattle if it can establish the run. In its five wins, Mike Macdonald’s team has piled up 169 rushing attempts for 670 yards, with at least 30 carries in four of those victories.
In the four losses, that number drops to 89 attempts for 327 yards. The Raiders enter Week 10 allowing an NFL-worst 151.2 rushing yards per game.
Defensively, Seattle has been stingy all season. The Seahawks came into Week 10 ranked first in the league in both total yards allowed and passing yards allowed per game. Up front, third-year pro Byron Murphy II has been a real factor, posting a 75.5 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus, tied for 13th among interior defenders, and leading the team with four sacks.
The Raiders’ offense does have one player producing at a high level in Tre Tucker. The wideout is in his fourth NFL season and has become a key piece of the passing game, ranking fourth on the team with 33 catches while sitting second in receiving yards with 529 and second in touchdown receptions with four. In 2025, Tucker started all 17 games and finished with 57 catches for 696 yards and five touchdowns.
In Other News...
Raiders Just Got A Second Chance On A Move That Had To Work
John Spyteks latest move gave the Raiders a cleaner financial slate and a fresh long-term path at quarterback, with Kirk Cousins shipped out for a third-round pick and the remaining contract obligations wiped away. For a team still trying to sort out its future, that kind of flexibility matters, especially when the roster is already starting to get help from several players in the 2026 draft class.
Cousins also leaves behind a more complicated football question than the contract one. Even at 38, he has played better in Klint Kubiaks offensive scheme, which is why the Raiders now have to hope the decision to move on does not become one of those moves that looks smarter on the spreadsheet than it does on the field. Spytek has bought himself room to maneuver, but the real test is whether the Raiders can turn that second chance into something more than cap relief. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Have A Quarterback Depth Problem They Can't Ignore
The Raiders quarterback room has become a point of immediate concern, and head coach Klint Kubiak did not try to downplay it. He acknowledged the teams limited depth behind starter Fernando Mendoza and identified Aidan OConnell as the emergency backup, a setup that leaves little margin for error as the season moves forward.
Kubiak also said conversations about adding another quarterback are still ongoing, which tells you the team is at least treating the issue seriously. For a roster that wants stability under center, the current arrangement is hard to ignore, and the next move at the position could end up being one of the more important ones the Raiders make. [Read more 🡒]
Fernando Mendoza Catches A Break In His First Raiders Start
Fernando Mendozas first Raiders start comes with a little less pressure on the other side of the line than it might have had a few days ago. Seattle has already ruled out Leonard Williams for the matchup, a notable absence after the veteran missed every practice this week with a stinger injury, and the Seahawks are also down quarterback Sam Darnold, left tackle Charles Cross and guard Quenton Nelson as they reshape both their offense and defense for Sunday.
For a young quarterback making his first start, any edge matters, especially against a defense that is still sorting through who is available and where everyone fits. Seattle did get some encouraging signs elsewhere, with Uchenna Nwosu and Brandon Pili returning to full participation, but Williams being unavailable changes the look of the front and gives Las Vegas a cleaner path into a game that already had plenty of intrigue. [Read more 🡒]