The Las Vegas Raiders are set to turn to Fernando Mendoza earlier than planned after sending Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings at the NFL trade deadline.

On Tuesday, with the NFL trade window set to close at 4 p.m. ET, the Vikings made a swoop. Minnesota endured a Monday Night Football horror show against the Buffalo Bills, with Carson Wentz recording one of the worst performances in NFL history.

Wentz completed just 8 of 25 pass attempts for 81 yards with two interceptions before Max Brosmer replaced him in the fourth quarter. With pressure mounting to deliver results, given the defense is the best in the league, Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings swooped in to acquire a new quarterback.

And it is a familiar face. Cousins departed the Vikings following the 2023 season, signing with the Atlanta Falcons after six seasons in Minnesota.

After moving on to the Raiders for the 2026 season, Cousins took the starting reins with No. 1 overall pick Mendoza waiting in the wings to hone his craft, biding time for his opportunity. He will now get it against two of the NFL’s premier defenses over the next two weeks, with the Raiders set to face the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.

However, this was not the initial plan. The Raiders took Mendoza after signing Cousins to a creative deal worth $1.3 million for 2026, with another $10 million to be fully guaranteed in 2027.

The lucrative deal highlighted how Cousins was set to be the starter for the Raiders in 2026, allowing Mendoza to stay out of the spotlight and ensure he’d be ready when called upon. This plan worked perfectly to start; the Raiders enjoyed an incredible 3-0 start to the season, with Cousins starring.

The Raiders have slipped in recent weeks, although a win over the New York Jets suggested the offense was back on track. At 4-5, Las Vegas’ season is certainly not over - but the front office has decided to turn to Mendoza.

Perhaps the offer from the desperate Vikings was enough to convince the Raiders to flip the script. The Vikings - sitting at 6-2 and looking to remain competitive in the ridiculously tough NFC North - sent a third-round pick to Sin City for the veteran quarterback.

By trading Cousins to Minnesota ahead of the deadline, the Raiders avoided paying the $10 million 2027 roster bonus and only paid him roughly $641,000 in prorated 2026 salary.

Across nine games for Las Vegas, Cousins completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. The Vikings will be hoping he can replicate his production in Minnesota, where he forged an effective connection with superstar receiver Justin Jefferson.

In 48 career games without Cousins, Jefferson scored 18 touchdowns and averaged 74.9 yards per game. But with Cousins, Jefferson tallied 97.9 yards per game with 28 touchdowns.

Cousins and the 6-2 Vikings will face the 6-3 Green Bay Packers in a division showdown at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Nov. 15.