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The future is now in Las Vegas. 

After the Raiders traded quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, last year’s first-overall draft pick, Fernando Mendoza, will take the keys. The rookie is set to make his first NFL start in Las Vegas’ Week 10 game against the Seattle Seahawks. 

With the news, Mendoza’s odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year jumped from +1500 to +350, per DraftKings sportsbook. He usurped Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston to become the new favorite. 

Mendoza only has seven weeks to fulfill that opportunity, and that starts with a matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions. Mendoza’s passing yards Over/Under total is set at 183.5. 

Mendoza was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after winning the Heisman trophy, and leading the Indiana Hoosiers to a 16-0 season and a College Football Playoff national championship. 

It seemed as if the Raiders were going to follow the Patrick Mahomes path laid out by their AFC West division rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, and allow Mendoza to serve as a backup for the entirety of his rookie season. He sat behind Cousins for nine weeks, appearing once and attempting eight passes against the New England Patriots in Week 5. 

But now, after Cousins was sent back to his former team, Mendoza will start the remaining seven games. 

If Mendoza were to win OROY, he would join CJ Stroud and Jayden Daniels as the third quarterback in the last four years to win the award. Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan bucked that trend last season, but New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was right on his tail, finishing second place in the voting. 

Shough also earned the starting job in Week 9, but during the 2025 season. That proves Mendoza at least has a chance to make a late push at winning the award.