Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek told reporters Tuesday that trading Kirk Cousins and starting Fernando Mendoza shouldn't be considered a sign that the organization is waving the white flag.
"This in no way signifies that we are punting on the season or looking forward to 2027. That is not the intention of this," Spytek said at a press conference a few hours after the trade.
"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 from us."
Las Vegas acquired a 2027 third-round selection for Cousins on Tuesday after the quarterback started the first nine games of the season. The Raiders opened the year 3-0 but have lost five of their last six games and are 4-5 heading into Week 10.
Cousins finishes his 2026 Raiders tenure by completing 64% of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Among 31 qualifying quarterbacks this season, Cousins ranks ninth in EPA/dropback and 11th in passer rating, according to TruMedia.
Las Vegas will now pivot to Mendoza, the top pick in the 2026 draft out of Indiana. He led the Hoosiers to their first-ever national title last season and secured the Heisman Trophy.
Last year, the 23-year-old threw for 3,534 passing yards and an FBS-leading 41 touchdown passes in 16 games for Indiana. He also led all college quarterbacks in the NCAA's passer efficiency metric (182.9).
"This is something that he's worked very hard for since the moment he walked into this building," Spytek said about Mendoza taking over as the Raiders' starting quarterback.
"He passed every test. ... He put us in a position where we had to make a very hard decision today with his growth as a person, as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback."
Las Vegas will face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET.
