"We Didn't Have Any Expectation..": Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek Opens Up On Kirk Cousins Sudden Trade To Minnesota Vikings

Fernando Mendoza becomes the Raiders' starting quarterback after the Kirk Cousins trade.© Image via X/@dovkleiman

The Las Vegas Raiders did not wake up Tuesday planning to move Kirk Cousins. By evening, the quarterback belonged to the Minnesota Vikings, who paid a 2027 third-round pick, and rookie Fernando Mendoza had the starting job. General manager John Spytek then faced reporters and filled in the gaps. The Raiders sit at 4-5 and still have a path into the AFC playoffs. Cousins got no warning, and Spytek says that is because nobody in the building saw this coming.

Spytek On The Kirk Cousins Trade

Las Vegas never shopped Cousins. Spytek said he took a few calls, and only one that morning was serious. He did not speak with the veteran first.

"There was nothing to speak about," Spytek said. "We didn't have any expectation that this was coming."

Cousins knew Mendoza was the long-term plan from the day he arrived. The Raiders simply had to choose between finishing the year with him or taking Minnesota's offer.

"We (were) all staring the future in the face here with Fernando, and Kirk was very open with that when we got him," Spytek said. "We had to decide: Do we want to go forward here over the last eight games, or do we want to take what Minnesota is offering right now? Ultimately, we decided to do that."

Cousins leaves with 2,340 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games, a 97.1 passer rating. He returns to a team he played for from 2018 to 2023, and Justin Jefferson is still his top target. The 6-2 Vikings needed him. Kyler Murray is out with a hamstring injury, and Carson Wentz went 8 of 25 for 81 yards in Monday's loss to Buffalo.

Fernando Mendoza Takes Over As Raiders QB1

Mendoza made this a hard call for the front office. Spytek stopped short of saying the rookie had fully earned the job.

"It's something he's worked very hard for since the moment he walked into this building," Spytek said. "He passed every test. I want to stop short of saying he's earned it, but his growth as a person, teammate, leader, and quarterback put us in a position where we had to make a really hard decision today. We wanted to acknowledge that as well."

Spytek also rejected the idea that Las Vegas has given up on this year.

"This is for Raider Nation and this entire building: This in no way signifies that we are punting on this season or looking ahead to 2027," Spytek said. "That is not the intention."

Mendoza's first start comes against the defending champion Seahawks, with the Broncos next. Seattle has lost on the road to Washington this season, so a win would put the Raiders back at .500.