Vikings trade for Kirk Cousins opens door for Fernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza spent the first nine games of his NFL career one play away from taking over the Raiders.Turns out, all it took was a phone call from Minnesota.The Raiders are finalizing a trade for Kirk Cousins to the Vikings on Tuesday for a third-round pick, sending the veteran quarterback back to a place he knows well and giving the kid who spent half a season looking over his shoulder a reason to look straight ahead.Mendoza is expected to make his first NFL start on Sunday against Seattle.And for the first time since the Raiders made Mendoza the first pick in the draft, the question about Sunday is one he gets to answer himself.What can he do?Give Cousins his due here.
The Raiders asked him to come to Las Vegas, help a first-year head coach get his offense off the ground and show a young quarterback how to do a job Cousins knew he’d eventually have to give up.There are easier ways to make a living, especially for a man who still believes he can play.And for nine games, Cousins made a pretty good case that he can.
He helped the Raiders win their first three, brought them back from 11 down in New Orleans and had them within a field goal of the Chiefs and Bills.Two Sundays ago, there he was on the plane ride home from beating the Jets, the chains back around his neck, celebrating with teammates who seemed every bit as happy for him as he was for them.For all the time everyone outside the building spent wondering when the Raiders would turn to Mendoza, the guys inside it had a season to play.
Cousins gave them a chance to enjoy some of it.He also played well enough to give general manager John Spytek a choice at the trade deadline.More importantly, he opened plenty of eyes around the NFL by establishing himself again as a top quarterback.Which is why the quarterback-starved Vikings came calling.
The Vikings; defense is the NFL’s best.Super Bowl worthy.
They just needed a quarterback to make the whole thing work.Cousins is that quarterback.And if you’re ...