Mendoza officially named Raiders' QB1: Top pick 'passed every test,' says GM

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  Ryan McFaddenNov 10, 2026, 08:09 PM ET

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  Ryan McFadden covers the Las Vegas Raiders for ESPN's NFL Nation. Prior to ESPN, McFadden was a Denver Broncos beat reporter for the Denver Post. McFadden also wrote about the Baltimore Ravens and University of Maryland athletics for The Baltimore Sun.

HENDERSON, Nev. -- The Fernando Mendoza era has begun in Las Vegas.

The 2026 No. 1 pick has been named the Raiders' starting quarterback after veteran Kirk Cousins was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, general manager John Spytek announced.

Mendoza's first career start will be Sunday at home against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. This will be Mendoza's second appearance this season. He made his NFL debut late in a Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards.

Spytek said Mendoza "passed every test."

"It's something that he's worked very hard for since the moment he walked into this building," Spytek said of 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 said the move does not mean the Raiders, who at 4-5 are still in the playoff hunt, are punting on the season and looking ahead to 2027.

"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."

Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said Mendoza "exceeded" the team's expectations during practice. While Mendoza waited his turn, he still carried himself as though he was the starter. He wore his helmet through the game and stood close to quarterback coach Mike Sullivan, reciting play calls that he heard through the headset device in his helmet.

Mendoza also spent late nights on the team's indoor practice field, going over the game plan.

Over time, Kubiak noticed Mendoza make improvements in his accuracy, command of the offense, his ability to get in and out of a huddle, and his operation of two-minute drills.

Kubiak added that Mendoza proved he's ready not just physically but mentally. Mendoza was in the building Tuesday studying for the team's upcoming game.

"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."

Kubiak said he knew this day was coming but didn't know exactly when.

The Raiders selected Mendoza in hopes of him becoming their franchise quarterback, adding stability at the position for the foreseeable future. He showcased the potential to fill that role during his lone season at Indiana. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for career highs in passing yards (3,535), touchdown passes (41), completion rate (72%) and QBR (90.3) while helping the Hoosiers win their first national title in program history.

Las Vegas believed Mendoza's accuracy, athleticism and strong IQ fit Kubiak's offensive scheme. At the same time, the Raiders wanted to be patient with Mendoza's development. Spytek said they had discussions with Mendoza during his pre-draft interview about the plans they had for him.

The Raiders wanted to begin the season with Cousins as the starter until something changed, whether that was level of play, team performance, or Mendoza proving to the staff he was ready to take over.

Cousins proved to be a solid placeholder. He helped the Raiders surpass their win total from last year. In nine starts, Cousins threw for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Cousins' final game as the starter was in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 216 yards, two total touchdowns and three interceptions in the 38-17 loss.

Kubiak said Cousins' influence will remain with Mendoza and the team for the rest of the season. He and Spytek expressed the difficulty of moving on from Cousins, an essential figure in instilling a new culture in Las Vegas.

But the Raiders were staring the future in the face with Mendoza and felt it was time for a change.

"[Mendoza] performed at a level in practice that was impossible to ignore, and he put us in a position to make a really hard decision today," Spytek said.