The Las Vegas Raiders will start rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza against the Seattle Seahawks today at Allegiant Stadium after trading veteran Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round draft pick. The move came together this past Tuesday, the players' scheduled off day, when general manager John Spytek and coach Klint Kubiak presented Cousins with the opportunity to return to his former team. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Cousins approved the trade in part because he believed Mendoza was ready to step in.
Mendoza, the team's top overall draft pick, was unaware of the discussions and was in the locker room when news of the trade broke. Kubiak said the quarterback remained at the team's Henderson facility hours later "studying," a level of diligence that helped give the organization confidence in the transition. The 4-5 Raiders enter the 1:05 p.m. kickoff as 6.5-point underdogs against the 5-4 Seahawks in what is being called the team's most anticipated game since a 2022 playoff loss at Cincinnati.
Las Vegas may have a strategic advantage in coach Klint Kubiak, who spent last season as Seattle's offensive coordinator and was a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year. Kubiak has detailed knowledge of Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald's defensive scheme and hired defensive coordinator Rob Leonard based on their shared history with Macdonald in Baltimore. While Macdonald is familiar with Kubiak's tendencies, the Raiders' new personnel could limit the effectiveness of that insight.
The game will air on CBS (KLAS Channel 8), stream on Paramount+, and broadcast on Raider Nation Radio 920 AM. Mendoza's debut comes earlier than expected after Cousins played well enough to command a significant return at the trade deadline.
Sources: Las Vegas Sun
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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