The Fernando Mendoza era starts on Sunday. The Las Vegas Raiders named the No. 1 overall pick their starting quarterback on Wednesday, one day after trading Kirk Cousins to the Vikings for a 2027 third-round pick. His first start comes at home against one of the NFL’s best defenses: the Seattle Seahawks.
The game
| Matchup | Seattle Seahawks at Las Vegas Raiders |
| When | Sunday, Nov. 15, 4:05 pm ET |
| Where | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas |
| Sri Lanka / India | 2:35 am Monday |
| Raiders record | 4-5 |
What the Raiders said
GM John Spytek said Mendoza "passed every test." He praised how Mendoza has grown as a teammate, a leader and a quarterback.
Head coach Klint Kubiak said Mendoza is "prepared" and practices extremely well, and that the team believes he is ready.
Who is Fernando Mendoza?
| Draft | No. 1 overall pick, 2026 |
| College | Indiana |
| 2025 at Indiana | 72% completions, 3,535 yards, nation-leading 41 TD passes |
| College honors | Heisman Trophy and national championship |
| NFL so far | One game vs. the Patriots: 75% completions, 48 yards |
A tough first test
Seattle’s defense has been brutal for rookie quarterbacks. According to Field Gulls, the Seahawks have beaten four rookie starters in a row (Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, Cam Ward and Max Brosmer). In those games:
| Rookie QBs vs. Seattle (4 games) | |
|---|---|
| Completion rate | 62.7% |
| Passing yards | 642 total (about 160 per game) |
| Interceptions | 7 |
| Sacks taken | 17 |
Seattle also held Arizona to just 3 points in Week 9 (all Week 9 scores).
The odds moved a lot
The betting market reacted fast to the Cousins trade (BetMGM, via SI):
| Before the trade | After the trade | |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Seahawks -3.5 | Seahawks -6.5 |
| Moneyline | Seahawks -190 | Seahawks -275 |
| Total | 43 | 40.5 |
Why now?
Cousins threw three interceptions in Week 9’s 38-17 loss to the 49ers, when Las Vegas turned it over five times. With the season at 4-5, the Raiders decided it was time to see what their franchise quarterback can do. Cousins is now back in Minnesota (deadline recap).
Fantasy football note
Mendoza is a risky fantasy start in his debut against this defense. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers should still get plenty of targets, as rookie QBs often look for the safest option.
Sources: Raiders.com – Mendoza named starting quarterback, SI – Seahawks vs. Raiders odds shift, Field Gulls – Seahawks defense a major test for Mendoza, NBC Sports / PFT – Mendoza in line to start.
