'Panic' Kirk Cousins Trade, Fernando Mendoza as QB1 Addressed by Raiders in New NFL Rumors

The Las Vegas Raiders are not concerned about Fernando Mendoza's readiness to step in as their starting quarterback after trading Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday.

Appearing on the Saturday morning SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler explained the Cousins trade was not a "panic" move when a good offer came in because of how Mendoza has progressed over the course of the season:

"When I texted with people from the Las Vegas Raiders this week, is Fernando Mendoza ready? I got a quote, 'Definitely yes' multiple times. So, they felt like he was ready enough to where trading Kirk Cousins was not a panic move. Now, had Cousins stayed he probably would have remained the starter for at least Week 10, but they felt like nine games in, Mendoza had got himself ready because in the spring he spent significant time just trying to get the steps down in Gary Kubiak's offense with the play action, all the nuances. And then over time the last few months they tried to get him reps when they could in practice; he did really well with those, so he's passed every test. And they also feel like he's going to give them a little more athleticism. He can throw on the run, bigger arm than Kirk Cousins. So, they know he's going to make some mistakes as a rookie, but they feel like the upside is going to create potentially some more splash plays."

The Raiders seemed like they were sticking to the plan of not having Mendoza start. Head coach Klint Kubiak emphasized there was "no controversy" and Cousins would remain No. 1 on the depth chart following a 35-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, their fourth consecutive defeat after a 3-0 start.

Their plans shifted when they were able to land a 2027 third-round pick from the Vikings for Cousins.

Raiders players and coaches don't seem at all worried about Mendoza being overwhelmed.

Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan told ESPN's Ryan McFadden about the extra work Mendoza has been doing on his own to prepare himself.

"He literally walks through the play and goes through what his reads [are], his pre-snap communication [and] footwork," Sullivan said. "His command of the offense, his ability to articulate the huddle calls [and] communicate at the line of scrimmage, has improved consistently. It's certainly credit to him."

Mendoza has only appeared in one game so far this season. He played 10 snaps in garbage time of the Raiders' 45-17 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5, completing six of his eight attempts for 48 yards.

Now, Mendoza will make his first career start with an extremely difficult matchup against the Seattle Seahawks defense. The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft has never lacked confidence or belief in his ability, a trait that will serve him well as he gets acclimated to the NFL.

Kubiak told McFadden the Raiders don't expect Mendoza to do more than he needs to against the Seahawks because the offense as a whole is there to support him.

"Every week in the NFL is tough, and this is the best defense in the NFL," Kubiak said. "Again, he's got to do his job and not worry about a whole lot else. Everybody does their one-eleventh, and everyone around him elevates their play."

With the Raiders having lost five of six games following their 3-0 start, it's probably in their best interest to let Mendoza get as much playing time as possible now so they know what he needs to work on.

It's also not out of the question Mendoza could help lead the Raiders to the playoffs. They have a good offensive infrastructure to support the rookie with Kubiak calling plays and Brock Bowers as his primary outlet at tight end.

The Raiders (4-5) are only one game behind the Patriots for the final playoff spot going into Week 10.