A few days ago, the Las Vegas Raiders were down in the dumps after their 38-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, with trade rumors around the organization persisting. As the Minnesota Vikings fell to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night with a putrid quarterback performance, the signs began to show of a potential reunion in the making.

On Tuesday, before the NFL trade deadline, the Raiders ushered in a new era by trading quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Vikings for a third-round pick. It all but handed the offense and franchise to the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza, who will get his first opportunity to start against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

A Move Months in the Making

One of the bright spots of the Raiders' offense this season has been their passing game, which is fifth in passing yards per game (259.7). It has been an impressive unit to watch, with head coach Klint Kubiak calling plays and putting the offense in positions for success this season, and Cousins playing a big role.

However, Cousins was never going to keep his starting job, despite throwing for 2,340 yards and 20 touchdowns to begin the season. Kubiak stated a few points this year that Mendoza would get his opportunity when the time was right. Sure enough, the Vikings needed a quarterback and added someone with great familiarity, opening the door for Mendoza to become the starter.

In Tuesday's post-trade press conference, Kubiak and general manager John Spytek noted in the preparation that Mendoza had to be ready for this moment. Both thanked Cousins for his contributions, but Spytek noted the obvious.

"With that, we did want to say and confirm that Fernando [Mendoza] will be the starting quarterback going forward."

Kubiak and Spytek shared similar sentiments about Mendoza's preparation. Spytek told reporters that he "passed every test," while Kubiak noted how well his rookie signal-caller has practiced, acknowledging the work habits that have allowed him to have the opportunity to make his first career start. Those work habits have a direct link to Cousins, as Kubiak shared.

"Work habits, preparation, ways to take care of your body, ways to connect with your teammates, progressions, blitzes to expect, things to expect from coordinators," Kubiak said. "We could go on and on, but there’s a lot more to playing the position than what your coaches tell you in your meeting room, and I think Kirk [Cousins] embodied all the right things there: how to prepare and how to be a professional, and really, when things aren’t going well, what buttons to push on your teammates and what questions to ask your coaches. It’s an endless list of all positive things.”

What Moving On From Cousins For Mendoza Means

Cousins was a big piece of the Raiders' offensive puzzle, but it was never permanent, and both Kubiak and Spytek suggested as much before the season and during Tuesday's press conference. Cousins was a great bridge quarterback for the team, providing some great moments during the season with some terrific games against quality opponents. Raider Nation can appreciate those moments.

Moving on from Cousins now is a clear signal that Las Vegas wants to get the evaluation process started for their top draft pick. Mendoza is much more physically gifted as a passer than Cousins and could do more inside and outside the pocket, which could open up the passing game more than we've seen to date.

The arm arrogance, poise, and football intelligence will be on full display this weekend against a vaunted Seahawks defense. I'm excited for what Mendoza could showcase in his first start, but like any rookie quarterback, there will be some rough patches, whether that be standing too long in the pocket, making indecisive reads, making bad throws, etc.

The move also doesn't change the approach for the rest of the season.

"And then the last point to make is, and this is for Raider Nation and for this entire building, this in no way signifies that we are punting on this season or looking forward to 2027," Spytek said. "That is not the intention of this. We have a big game this week against the defending world champs, and we intend to attack it like we would any week."

The Raiders want to compete while growing their foundation and youth in the process. Losing the veteran leadership of Cousins is a blow, but a necessary one. With that, a new era has dawned in the desert.

It is officially time for the Fernando Mendoza era to begin.