The Raiders’ Week 10 outlook changed fast once the Kirk Cousins deal went through, and the betting market wasted no time reacting.
Less than two hours before the NFL Trade Deadline, the move was announced: Cousins is headed back to Minnesota. That leaves Las Vegas turning to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, for the rest of the season.
Mendoza arrives with a huge résumé already attached to his name. He was the 2025-26 Heisman Trophy winner and led the Indiana Hoosiers to their first national championship in school history. Now the Raiders are asking him to take over under center with the team sitting at 4-5 and still alive in the playoff race.
Oddsmakers clearly expect a tougher road without Cousins. The spread in the Raiders’ game against the Seahawks has moved three points toward Seattle, while the Seahawks have gone from -190 to -275 on the moneyline. The total has also taken a hit, dropping from 43 to 40.5.
That shift makes sense given the matchup. Seattle’s defense has been one of the league’s most dominant units, and it just held the Arizona Cardinals to three points. For Mendoza, that means his first NFL start comes against a defense that is already making life miserable for opposing offenses.
The trade sent ripples through the market immediately, with the Vikings’ odds also moving after the deal was completed. For Las Vegas, though, the bigger story is the change at quarterback and the sharp adjustment that followed.
In Other News...
Seahawks May Be Forcing A Receiver Move They Do Not Need
The Seahawks are still poking around for receiver help, but the search says as much about the roster as it does about the market. Seattle is reportedly looking for a pass catcher who can complement Jaxon Smith-Njigba, ideally someone with a different skill set and a contract that fits a tight cap situation. Adonai Mitchell, Quentin Johnston and DeVaughn Vele have all come up as possible trade targets, which tells you the front office is at least canvassing options even if nothing is close.
Still, there is a fair amount of skepticism around whether Seattle actually needs to force the issue. The offense already leans in a certain direction, and the current receiver room has enough pieces to make a move feel more like a luxury than a necessity. With limited cap space shaping the conversation, the bigger question may be whether the Seahawks can find a deal that makes enough sense to justify changing the mix at all. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face A Deadline Choice That Could Split Fans
The Seahawks already made one notable move by bringing in Quenton Nelson, but the bigger roster questions may not come until the 2026 NFL trade deadline. With the front office still weighing how aggressive to be, the conversation has turned to whether Seattle should keep adding around its core or use the market to reshape the roster in a bigger way.
Among the possibilities being floated are a quarterback swap that would send Sam Darnold to the Vikings for draft capital, along with potential help on defense and at tight end. Jermaine Johnson and Dallas Goedert have both surfaced as names to watch, but for now those ideas remain just that, which leaves Seattle fans debating whether the team should chase immediate upgrades or preserve flexibility for whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Geno Smith Is Forcing A Jets Decision Seahawks Fans Will Notice
Geno Smiths strong run in New York has put the Jets in a familiar spot for a quarterback-needy team: fielding calls, listening carefully and trying to decide whether the short-term value is worth more than the long view. According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, the Jets have already gotten trade inquiries on Smith, whose play has steadied their offense and made him one of the more interesting names on the market.
For Seahawks fans, it is the kind of development worth tracking because Smiths success has a way of reconnecting his name to Seattle conversations, even years after his departure. He has played nine games for the Jets in 2026, completing 67.5 percent of his passes for 2,078 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions, and the current sense is that New York would need an exceptionally high return to move him, with the possibility of keeping him as a bridge quarterback through 2027 still very much in play. [Read more 🡒]