The Las Vegas Raiders have turned the page at quarterback. General manager John Spytek announced Tuesday that Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall draft pick, will start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks at Allegiant Stadium and remain the starter going forward.
The move comes hours after the Raiders traded veteran Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the NFL trade deadline. The organization had planned to develop Mendoza behind Cousins, who ranks second in the league in touchdown passes and fifth in passing yards this season, but the deal accelerated the rookie's timeline for a 4-5 team still on the fringe of the AFC playoff picture.
Mendoza won a national championship and Heisman Trophy at Indiana last season. He has seen limited action in his first NFL campaign, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards during a late drive in a blowout loss to the New England Patriots last month.
Historically, only three quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall in the common draft era have waited longer than the 10th game of their rookie season to make their first start. Eli Manning and Jared Goff also made their first starts in Week 10, while Vinny Testaverde, JaMarcus Russell and Carson Palmer sat longer. The last six top-picked quarterbacks all started Week 1 of their rookie years.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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