The Raiders are making the switch, and Fernando Mendoza is the one stepping into the spotlight.
After the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders completed a trade for quarterback Kirk Cousins on Tuesday afternoon, the move sent Cousins back to Minnesota and cleared the path for the Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick to take over under center. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported on X, formerly Twitter, that “With Kirk Cousins headed to Minnesota, No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza now takes over as the new QB for the #Raiders. There’s a lot of internal optimism in Vegas that he’s very much ready for this opportunity too,”
Zenitz also cited a source saying, “Has been tearing it up in practice,”
The Raiders had signed Cousins in free agency this past offseason after selecting Mendoza first overall out of Indiana, giving the rookie a veteran quarterback to learn behind in his first NFL season. But after a strong start, Las Vegas and Cousins have cooled off in recent weeks, and the team has apparently decided the playoff chase is no longer the priority.
Now the job belongs to Mendoza, and his first likely start comes with a heavy challenge. The Raiders are set to face the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, a team that brings one of the league’s most feared defenses. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:05 pm ET in Las Vegas, where the home crowd should be loud for the rookie’s debut as the starter.
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Golden Knights Face A Cap Decision As Parker Wotherspoon Nears Return
Parker Wotherspoons return appears to be getting close, with the defenseman taking line rushes alongside Dylan Coghlan at practice as the Golden Knights continue to sort out their blue line. Wotherspoon has been limited to six games this season because of an upper-body injury, and he has yet to register a point in those appearances, but his presence at practice is a sign Vegas may be ready to bring him back into the lineup soon.
What remains unclear is how the roster math will work when that happens. The Golden Knights are operating with a tight cap situation, so activating Wotherspoon could require a corresponding move before he is available for game action, leaving one more wrinkle for the team to sort through as it prepares for its next game. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Got A Needed Sign On Two Key Veterans
The injury picture around the Golden Knights has gotten a little murkier, even as the rest of the league sorts through its own roster issues. Vegas is already dealing with a defenseman in Noah Hanifin being sidelined, and the timing matters because the team has had to keep an eye on its depth options while other clubs around the league make their own adjustments.
Elsewhere in the division, Florida got a more encouraging update with veterans Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand back at practice, and coach Paul Maurice said both could be back in games within two weeks. For a Panthers team trying to steady itself early, getting those two back on the ice is the kind of development that can change the tone fast, even if the exact return dates are still not set. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Return Home Facing A Real Test Against Utah
After a successful Eastern Conference road trip, the Golden Knights are back home to open a five-game homestand, and Utah brings a legitimate early test to the building. Vegas has been steady enough on the trip to keep momentum rolling, but this is the kind of game that can tell a lot about how the team settles in once it gets back to its own ice and its own rhythm.
The matchup also comes with a few interesting layers beyond the standings. Carter Hart is expected to get the start for Vegas, while Utah is projected to counter with Sebastian Cossa, and the lineups carry the kind of detail that makes a November game feel a little bigger than the calendar says it is. There are milestones in play for some of the Golden Knights, too, giving the homestand opener a little extra weight even before the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]