November 10 has been marked off the calendar, and trades are done and dusted. One of the players who has found a new home is former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins. Initially signed up to hold down the fort for them until rookie Fernando Mendoza gets up to speed, the Raiders might have been satisfied with his job. Cousins left an encouraging message to his successor.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Thank you Raider Nation! Go get em @fernandomendoza,” he wrote on his IG story on November 10, posting a photo of the two of them. Cousins and Mendoza are in full Raiders gear, but the veteran was ahead of the rookie in the photo. It was symbolic of their respective roles at the time.
Cousins holds a lot of gratitude for Las Vegas, with whom he signed on April 6, 2026. The journeyman quarterback has been around in the league in the past, but this time he is moving into a familiar place. He played for the Vikings between 2018 and 2023.
Minnesota brought back the familiar face on Tuesday, acquiring Cousins from the Raiders for a 2027 third-round draft pick. Minnesota was in desperate need of a quarterback, and it’s tough how they’ve cycled past signal callers in the past. They parted ways with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, both of whom have found success in their respective new teams.
It was always written on the wall that Cousins would eventually pass the baton to Mendoza, the Raiders’ potential future franchise quarterback. He has so far taken snaps only in the Raiders game.
“We (were) all staring the future in the face here with Fernando, and Kirk was very open with that when we got him,” Raiders general manager John Spytek said. “We had to decide: Do we want to go forward here over the last eight games, or do we want to take what Minnesota is offering right now? Ultimately, we decided to do that.”
The rookie quarterback will get his first start this week and may have little help from the ground game as he looks to navigate the challenges in Las Vegas.
Ashton Jeanty’s arrival was expected to strengthen the backfield, but the first-round pick has yet to make the anticipated impact. Mike Washington has offered a few bright spots, yet the overall numbers remain concerning. The Raiders are 31st in rushing yards per game (71.3) and rank 32nd in yards per carry (2.9).
But besides boosting his successor in Las Vegas, Cousins now has no business with the former team. As he now suits up for his old team, it’s expected that success will follow after some time.
“The offense under coach Kevin O’Connell has been tough for quarterbacks of all experience levels to master, and Cousins talked often in 2022 about his struggles to feel comfortable in it,” wrote ESPN Vikings reporter Kevin Seifert. “But by the middle of the 2023 season, Cousins was playing better than he ever had in a Minnesota uniform. He led the NFL with 18 touchdown passes over eight games and had a 64 QBR.
“All of which goes to say that if he can pick up where he left off, the Vikings could soon resurrect their dormant passing offense. But it’s only natural to expect Cousins to need some time to adjust after three years away.”
The trade is a massive win for the Vikings. Cousins is currently fifth in passing yards (2,340) and second in touchdowns (20). At his age, the numbers are beyond impressive and should help jump-start the Vikings. Carson Wentz has proved to be incredibly disappointing for the team, posting a QB rating of 2.3 against the Buffalo Bills. The Vikings lost that game 23-6.