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By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
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The Las Vegas Raiders opened the season 3-0, but after five losses in their last six games, they decided it was time to turn the page.
On Tuesday, the Raiders traded quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round pick, officially kicking off the Fernando Mendoza era in Las Vegas.
Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to a national championship, was drafted No. 1 overall in April. The 23-year-old has appeared in just one game this season, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards late in a blowout loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5.
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However, his welcome to the NFL won’t be a gentle one. While many were celebrating Mendoza’s first start coming in Week 10, the reality set in of the bad news of which teams he had to face right out of the gate.
“Raiders No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will now take over as the starting QB following Kirk Cousins’ trade to Minnesota,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X. “Las Vegas is 4-5, and Mendoza’s first two career starts will come against the Seahawks and Broncos, two of the NFL’s top defenses.”
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First up for Mendoza is a Seattle team that’s coming off a Super Bowl title and has picked up right where it left off. The Seahawks have the league’s top-ranked defense (244.2 yards per game) and rank fourth in scoring defense (18 points per game).
Then comes Denver, which is tied for the fourth-most sacks (26), the fifth-most interceptions (8), and has the ninth-lowest passer rating against (88.3).
It should be noted, however, that Mendoza won’t be walking into a broken situation. The Raiders’ offensive line had allowed just 11 sacks through eight games (tied for fourth-fewest), and he’ll have a security blanket in Pro Bowl tight end Brock Bowers.
Cousins’ exit wasn’t a pretty one. The 38-year-old threw three interceptions in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but he still ranked 12th in QBR (62.8) at the time of the trade.
Still, the Raiders didn’t use the No. 1 pick on Mendoza to have him hold a clipboard all season. At 4-5, they’re not out of the wild-card hunt, but they’ll find out quickly whether their franchise quarterback is ready when the Seahawks come to town on Sunday.
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