​Is it time for the Raiders to move into the Fernando Mendoza era? GettyAfter the Las Vegas Raiders spent the first two months of the season getting No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza acclimated to the NFL, the team made a move on Tuesday that threw him headfirst into a starting role.The Raiders shipped starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings in the hours before the trade deadline, handing the starting job to Mendoza and sending a strong message about their faith in him.Raiders Showing Faith in Fernando MendozaEven before the terms of the Cousins trade were finalized, many team insiders noted the message the Raiders were sending to the rookie quarterback. Vincent Bonsignore noted that the team was willing to scrap its plans to slowly roll him out behind the steady veteran Cousins.“The @Vikings are potentially changing the timeline for Fernando Mendoza….stay tuned…..” Bonsignore wrote in a post on X.Reporter James Palmer of NFL on Prime added that the Vikings were confident that Mendoza is ready to start immediately.“The #Vikings are finishing a TRADE for #raiders QB Kirk Cousins per source,” Minnesota believes he can step right in. The Raiders have felt that Fernando Mendoza has been ready. The capital they received was enough for LV to pivot from the plan they have for their rookie.”
The team’s message to Mendoza comes amid a light workload this year. The rookie quarterback has appeared in just one game, completing 6-of-8 passes for 48 yards in a blowout loss to the New England Patriots.
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