Raiders GM says Fernando Mendoza 'passed every test' to earn starting job after Kirk Cousins trade

Now starting a quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, No. 15 Fernando Mendoza. The team is turning to the highly touted rookie after trading Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings, general manager John Spytek confirmed.

Spytek said Mendoza "passed every test" on his way to taking over the starting job.

Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, will make his first start in Week 10 when the Seattle Seahawks visit Allegiant Stadium. The Seahawks won their second Super Bowl in February. Mendoza has already appeared in one game, seeing limited action in Week 5 against the New England Patriots, the same team Seattle defeated in the Super Bowl.

Mendoza has thrown for 49 yards so far in his rookie season.

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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza looks to throw against the Houston Texans during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

"It's something that he's worked very hard for since the moment he walked into this building," Spytek told reporters about Mendoza. "I want to stop short of saying he's earned it, but he put us in a position where we had to make a really hard decision today, with his growth as a person, as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback."

Spytek insisted the pivot to Mendoza did not signal that the Raiders believed their 2026 season was over. The Raiders fell to 4-5 after last Sunday’s 38-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers but remain in the playoff hunt.

"That is not the intention of this," Spytek said. "We have a big game this week against the defending world champs, and we intend to attack it like we would any week. That's expected of us."

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First-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins watches Fernando Mendoza warm up before a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium on Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nev. (Getty Images)

Mendoza "exceeded" the team’s expectations in practice while waiting for his opportunity. One notable sign of Mendoza’s preparation for the starting job was his habit of wearing his helmet during games and staying close to quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan while reciting play calls he heard through the headset.

Physical readiness is just as important as mental preparation, and Kubiak was confident the young quarterback had done enough work to be ready. "He puts a lot of work in," Kubiak said. "His teammates know how prepared he is. It's not just lip service, but he has shown it on the practice field."

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Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy last year en route to Indiana's undefeated season and the program's first ever national title. The Raiders did not want to rush Mendoza’s development, so they brought in Cousins as a bridge quarterback to start the season.

Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders practices during an OTA offseason workout at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on June 3, 2026, in Henderson, Nev. (Getty Images)

Cousins helped the Raiders surpass their win total from last season. In nine starts, he threw for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Cousins rushed for one touchdown and threw another, but was intercepted three times in what proved to be his final start in a Raiders uniform.

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The Raiders finished 3-14 in Pete Carroll’s lone season as head coach. Spytek remained as general manager, while the team hired Kubiak after his stint as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator ended with the Super Bowl.