HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — When Fernando Mendoza was working his way toward becoming the Raiders' starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins mentored the rookie rather than shunning him.
That was despite knowing Mendoza would eventually replace Cousins, which occurred Tuesday when the 15-year veteran was traded to Minnesota.
Mendoza hopes to rely on what he learned from Cousins when he makes his first start for Las Vegas on Sunday against visiting Seattle.
“It would have been really easy for Kirk, being a veteran quarterback and having already proved everything, to be a little bit more dismissive,” Mendoza said Wednesday. “But he had me with open arms and has taught me so many things. Whether it’s film study, how to operate as a starting quarterback, all the different multifaceted approaches that have made him so successful throughout his career, he has shared with no restrictions or no constraints.”
This is the moment the organization knew was coming at some point and Raiders fans have anticipated since it became clear the club would select Mendoza with the top pick in this year's draft.
Mendoza was coming off a season in which he captured the Heisman Trophy and led former basketball powerhouse Indiana to its first national championship in football.
Secondary-market ticket prices for Sunday's game have more than doubled at Vivid Seats since news broke of the trade and Mendoza's elevation. The lowest-priced ticket on the resale app went from $176 to $365. At TickPick, another resale site, the cheapest ticket went from $282 to $395.
Mendoza had his chance to run the first-team offense Wednesday for the first time since he was promoted. The Raiders went through a walk-through rather than a full practice, but wide receiver Tre Tucker said Mendoza impressed even in that setting.
“We’ve been seeing it all year,” Tucker said. “He’s been taking reps with us, he’s been doing everything. You see a throw in practice and you're like, ‘Wow.' So for that to be out there this Sunday is going to be fun.”
Mendoza will face a tough opponent in his debut start.
The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks lead the league in total defense, allowing 244.2 yards per game. Next are the Vikings at 280.0. Seattle is tied for fourth with Pittsburgh in scoring defense at 18.0 points allowed.
But the Seahawks enter the game with scant video of Mendoza to study. He has made just one appearance, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards in garbage time of a blowout loss to New England.
“We are going to watch his plays and lean on our information we had coming out of the draft process and put our best foot forward,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said.
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, who was the Seahawks' offensive coordinator last season, said the entire playbook will be at Mendoza's disposal.
“We gathered information on what every player can handle going back to April, and we have an awareness of his situation and him being in his first game,” Kubiak said. “However, we’re not peeling back anything, and we’re going to go do what the whole team does best.”
Most of what Mendoza has done this season has occurred behind the scenes in practice and with video and playbook study. Coaches and teammates have raved about his commitment to getting better, and they said Mendoza has shined in practice in recent weeks.
Cousins played so well — his 20 touchdown passes are second only to Cincinnati's Joe Burrow's 23 — that Kubiak wasn't in a hurry to take the 38-year-old off the field, even though the move was inevitable.
The question was when.
That happened Tuesday, when the QB-needy Vikings — coming off an embarrassing offensive performance Monday night in a 23-6 loss to Buffalo — sent a 2027 third-round draft pick to the Raiders for Cousins.
Mendoza was suddenly in charge in Las Vegas. The deal came together so quickly that Mendoza didn't have a chance to tell his family before the news broke.
“All the guys in the locker room love Kirk,” tight end Brock Bowers said. “He was a great locker room guy to have around, and I know all the media love him, too. It was definitely a tough loss for, I guess, the vibe in the locker room and the morale, but we're excited to see what Fernando can do. We all have trust and faith in him. We see what he's been doing in camp, so I'm excited to see what he does here.”
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins speaks during an NFL football press conference, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Eagan, Minn., the day after being traded to the team by the Las Vegas Raiders. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
TOYOTA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 11, 2026--
SkyDrive Inc. (“SkyDrive”), a leading compact eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, announced that it has raised new funding through a third-party share allotment to Tobu Railway Co. Ltd., one of Japan’s leading transportation operators, and Tobu Top Tours Co. Ltd. Through this partnership, the companies will work closely to accelerate commercial eVTOL deployment in the Kanto region by combining the Tobu Group's extensive transportation and tourism assets with SkyDrive's aircraft development and operational expertise.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261109273043/en/
Background and Purpose
Driven by its mission of leading the once-in-a-century mobility revolution, SkyDrive is developing and manufacturing compact eVTOL aircraft to make everyday air mobility a reality. Following uncrewed demonstration flights at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (*2), SkyDrive continues to make steady progress through the certification processes required for commercial operations, working toward type certification. Leveraging assembly lines established in collaboration with a leading automaker, SkyDrive is currently advancing commercialization projects alongside local partners and municipalities across 10 countries worldwide.
In Japan, SkyDrive has collaborated with four regional railway operators (*3) on feasibility studies and flight demonstrations. With this strategic investment, the Tobu Group becomes SkyDrive's fifth railway partner. Partnering with the Tobu Group, which operates one of Japan’s major private railway networks, allows SkyDrive to advance business development and plan ground infrastructure across the Kanto region, surrounding Tokyo.
Key Areas of Collaboration
Through this investment and partnership, the companies will focus on the following core initiatives across the Kanto region:
Through this deepened partnership with the Tobu Group, SkyDrive will strengthen its business foundation and accelerate the buildout of next-generation mobility infrastructure toward launching commercial services in 2028 and driving sustainable long-term growth.
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, founder and CEO of SkyDrive
“We are thrilled and deeply encouraged that Tobu Railway and Tobu Top Tours share our vision for the future. To establish eVTOLs as a familiar part of everyday life, we must do more than just build aircraft. We need to seamlessly connect our aircraft with existing transit networks, develop vertiports and create compelling regional travel experiences. Alongside the Tobu Group, which boasts an extensive transit network and iconic tourism assets across Kanto such as Nikko, we will work toward launching commercial services in 2028 to make air mobility a daily choice.”
About SkyDrive Inc.
SkyDrive is a Japanese compact eVTOL company aiming "to take the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution." The company began testing eVTOL prototypes in 2014 prior to official incorporation in 2018. Under its future vision for urban transportation, flying in eVTOLs will become a regular part of city life. In 2019, SkyDrive became the first company to fly a crewed eVTOL in Japan. In 2025, the company successfully showcased SKYDRIVE, the company's first commercial eVTOL product, with demonstration flights at the Osaka Expo witnessed by thousands of visitors over a one-month period. SkyDrive began production of SKYDRIVE in March 2024 at a plant owned by Suzuki Motor Corporation, SkyDrive's official production partner. SkyDrive has been working with civil aviation authorities in Japan and the U.S. to obtain certification for SKYDRIVE, with the aim of launching the aircraft into service in 2028. SkyDrive is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture and led by CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa, an engineer and entrepreneur.
For more information, please visit: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/
Editor’s Notes:
(*1) eVTOL is an abbreviation for electric vertical takeoff and landing. As the name suggests, eVTOL aircraft can take off and land without a runway. eVTOLs are powered by electricity and incorporate advanced, automatic, flight control technology.
(*2) Related Press Releases: SkyDrive Starts Demonstration Flights at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai:
https://skydrive.co.jp/en/news/16094/
(*3) Partnerships and routes with the four railway companies: https://skydrive.co.jp/en/news/18235/
- Kintetsu Group Holdings (Kintetsu Group): Routes connecting the Ise-Shima area
- Osaka Metro: The Osaka Diamond Route connecting four key locations across Osaka
- East Japan Railway Company (JR East): Routes connecting Morioka and Koiwai (AZUMA FARM KOIWAI)
- Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu): Routes connecting Oita Prefecture, including the Beppu and Yufuin hot spring resort areas
(*4) SAKULaLa: A biometric-based common platform service jointly developed by Tobu Railway Co. Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. (A registered trademark of Tobu Railway Co. Ltd.)
SkyDrive Raises Funds from Tobu Railway and Tobu Top Tours to Accelerate eVTOL Deployment in Kanto
SkyDrive Raises Funds from Tobu Railway and Tobu Top Tours to Accelerate eVTOL Deployment in Kanto
