The Raiders are handing Fernando Mendoza the keys, and Klint Kubiak isn’t dialing anything down for the rookie.
With Kirk Cousins traded to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, Mendoza is set to make his first NFL start Sunday afternoon at 4:05 PM ET against the Seattle Seahawks in Las Vegas. And according to Sam Warren of The Athletic, Kubiak made it clear the offense won’t be stripped down for the young quarterback.
“Raiders HC Klint Kubiak said they are not ‘peeling back anything' in their offense for Fernando Mendoza's first start. ‘We're gonna go do what the whole team does best, all 11, and then he does his part distributing the football. I’m very comfortable running our playbook with Fernando,” Warren reported.
This won’t be Mendoza’s first time seeing the field in an NFL game. Earlier this season, the 2026 No. 1 overall pick came on late in a game and finished 6-8 passing with 48 total passing yards.
The Raiders had planned for Cousins to open the season as QB1 while also serving as a mentor for Mendoza. Even before the trade, there was a path for Mendoza to eventually take over later in the year.
Now the transition is happening sooner, and it comes with Las Vegas sitting at 4-5 overall. That record leaves room for more than just development talk, because Mendoza leading the Raiders into the postseason is not out of the question.
For now, though, the spotlight is squarely on Sunday and Mendoza’s first career start.
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Raiders Rookies Are Suddenly Creating A Real Roster Debate
The Raiders rookie class has started to shape the conversation around the back end of the roster, and not just because of the usual growing pains. In the wake of a loss to the 49ers and a win over the Jets, the first-year group has produced a mix of encouraging flashes and uneven production, with some young players drawing strong marks for how they handled their opportunities while others struggled to make the same kind of case.
Treydan Stukes and Jermod McCoy stood out on the positive side of the ledger, giving Las Vegas something to think about as it sorts out who deserves more run down the stretch. On the other end, Mike Washington Jr. and Zeke Masses did not help their standing, and with a few rookies either inactive or on injured reserve, the Raiders are left weighing not just who has played well, but who is actually forcing the issue when the team starts making tougher decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Fernando Mendoza Enters A New Raiders Role With Huge Expectations
Fernando Mendoza has stepped into a new role for the Raiders with the kind of attention that comes with being handed the offense in-season. After Kirk Cousins was moved out of the picture, Mendoza took over as Las Vegas starting quarterback and has already gone through his first full practice in the job, a key early test as he settles into the routine that now comes with leading the huddle.
Mendoza has also made clear he appreciated the time he spent alongside Cousins, crediting the veteran for his support during their overlap. Now the focus shifts quickly to game week and a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, where the Raiders will get their first real look at how Mendoza handles the pressure and pace of being the guy. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Are Handing Fernando Mendoza A Brutal Early Test
The Raiders latest stumble left the offense searching for answers, and the timing could not be much tougher. A loss to the 49ers in which Las Vegas coughed up five second-half turnovers underscored how fragile things have become on that side of the ball, and the front office quickly made a move at quarterback by sending Kirk Cousins to Minnesota for a 2027 third-round pick.
Now the spotlight shifts to rookie Fernando Mendoza, who is lined up to start against the Seahawks and Broncos. It is a demanding stretch for any quarterback, let alone one trying to steady a team coming off a turnover-plagued defeat and a roster reset under center, and it will tell plenty about how quickly the Raiders think he can handle the job. [Read more 🡒]