Nandomania is upon Raider Nation.
By trading former starter Kirk Cousins for a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders are turning to the top pick in the 2026 draft Fernando Mendoza at quarterback. The move from a 38-year-old veteran to the 23-year-old rookie marks a sizeable shift for the Silver & Black.
“Our expectation is for him to lead the offense, to lead the operation, and to go play a game here Sunday and be the leader of the team, be the leader of the offense,” Las Vegas
head coach Klint Kubiak said of Mendoza. “We have to prepare him and give him a lot of reps to get him comfortable. So, our expectation is for him to lead the offense.”
Standing 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Mendoza brings NFL-size with a livelier arm and fresh legs with mobility to the quarterback position, as opposed to Cousins. But where the veteran has the rook beat is game experience. While Cousins may be a statue as a pocket passer, he did provide his younger counterpart an ideal mentor and sounding board. And Las Vegas is banking on the nine games Mendoza sat and watched Cousins operate provided a blueprint for the rookie to follow.
And what an opponent for Mendoza to make his first start against: The Seattle Seahawks.
“Like I said, this is a new experience. It’s great. It’s against a fantastic opponent. However, I have so much trust in the coaching staff, in the front office, and my teammates and the leaders of the team to go out there and best support everybody’s 1/11th, so we can do our job to the best ability.”
While Seattle is quite shaky offensively — ranking 18th in points scored and 17th in yards gained under rookie offensive coordinator Brian Fleury — head coach and defensive play caller Mike Macdonald has the Seahawks defense as one of the top units in the NFL.
If both Mendoza and Kubiak are to get the Raiders aerial attack on track this Sunday, they’ll have to do it against the Seahawks’ top-ranked passing defense which is ranked No. 1 in air yards allowed (1,396). Seattle is also allowing the fourth-least passing touchdowns (nine) and have racked up the sixth-most interceptions (eight).
Both the Raiders quarterback and head coach are eager to meet the challenge head-on, though.
“It is, yeah. And every week in the NFL is tough, and this is the best defense in the NFL,” Kubiak said when asked about Mendoza’s start against a top-tier Seahawks defense being invaluable. “And again, he’s got to go do his job and not worry about a whole lot else. Everybody does their 1/11th, and everyone around him elevates their play.”
Notice that 1/11th that both Mendoza and Kubiak were quick to drop during their respective times at the podium during media availability this week leading up the Week 10 matchup with the Seahawks?
Kubiak’s offense epitomizes the all-11 approach. Ranked eighth in the NFL in points scored (238) and 15th in yards gained (2,979), Las Vegas passing game is ranked fifth in air yards (2,337) and are third-best in touchdowns (20). The offensive line — which has showcased much better pass protection ability than run blocking — kept Cousins upright for those 20 touchdowns and the expectation is the group doing the same for Mendoza.
The stronger arm talent the Indiana product brings to the table should pay dividends for Raiders pass catchers like tight end Brock Bowers (team-leading 48 receptions, 658 yards, and six touchdowns), fleet-footed wide receiver Tre Tucker (33 receptions for 529 yards and four touchdowns), and running back Ashton Jeanty (42 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns. Add tight end Michael Mayer (39 catches for 388 yards and a touchdown), and Mendoza has weaponary at his disposal.
Las Vegas’ ground game is in the pits, however, and is ranked dead-last in yards gained (642) and yards per carry average (2.9). Much of this is due to lack of trench dominance and opposing defenses loading the box with eight defenders knowing Cousins presents zero threat to scramble and take off with his legs. Perhaps the Mendoza dynamic changes that for Kubiak’s offense?
“But, hey, go through your progression, and obviously if it’s not there, you’ve got to go run the football. And then when you’re running the football, how do you protect yourself so that you can get us to the next down, because we need you available for the whole season,” Kubiak said regarding Mendoza trusting his eyes, staying in the pocket, and run as a last resort rather than too quickly. “You’re not trying to sell out for a yard on first-and-10, so it’s an ongoing learning process. But that’s also why when you’re selecting men in the draft, you identify their instincts. I liked Fernando’s instincts in college, and it’s his first NFL game. So, we’re all going to see. But I’m excited for his opportunity and just for the whole offense to go play together.”
We’re going to find out if Kubiak’s quarterback-whisperer ways can transfer to Mendoza as it has with Sam Darnold (during the Raiders head coach’s time as Seattle offensive coordinator last season) and Cousins.
While this game features the debut of Mendoza and matching up against Macdonald’s defense, underneath all this is this simple item between the Raiders and Seahawks: Kubiak misses Macdonald’s defense (Las Vegas’ group is led by rookie defensive coordinator Rob Leonard and ranks dead last in points allowed (268) and yards yielded (3,469)) and Macdonald misses Kubiak’s offense.
Quote of Note
“Kirk has taught me a multitude of lessons, but two of the ones that stick out right now from your question is, number one, always being prepared and doing everything possible you can to prepare yourself to best serve your teammates, to best serve the organization. So you go out there Sunday, regardless of the result, no doubt in your mind that you did everything possible to give your team and teammates the best chance to perform and win. And second is to be yourself. He’s always told everybody on the team, and he was a great leader and captain on the team and really brought us together and had a lot of togetherness. So that’s something that I look to exemplify and take from his lessons.”
—Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza on what lessons from former starter Kirk Cousins sticks out
