The Seattle Seahawks travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET.
All eyes will be on “Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza” as the No. 1 overall pick makes his first career start, according to Yahoo Sports.
The transition follows the trade of Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings, a move detailed in “additional select Yahoo articles” regarding the trade deadline.
Mendoza will face a stiff test against the Seattle defense, which ranks among the top five in points and yards allowed per game.
The defending Super Bowl champions will be without starting quarterback Sam Darnold for the second consecutive game due to a quad injury.
Drew Lock will receive the start for Seattle despite managing an oblique injury and ongoing elbow tendinitis in his throwing arm.
Lock has performed efficiently this season, completing 71.1% of his passes for five touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The Seahawks officially ruled out Darnold, Emanuel Wilson, Avery Smith, Quenton Nelson, Charles Cross, Deven Eastern and Leonard Williams as inactives for the contest.
The Raiders announced their own inactive list, which includes Dont’e Thornton Jr., Malik Benson, Tristin McCollum, Dalton Johnson, Bryce Cabeldue and Thomas Booker IV.
Elsewhere in the league, injury news continues to impact rosters, including reports that “Ladd McConkey was downgraded to out” for his respective matchup due to a back issue, as noted by Yahoo Sports.
The Seahawks and Raiders game will be broadcast on CBS as teams navigate the mid-season schedule.
Mendoza enters the game with limited professional experience, having only appeared in relief during a loss against the New England Patriots earlier this year.
He completed six of eight pass attempts for 48 yards in that lone appearance.
Coaches and analysts will be closely monitoring how the rookie handles the pressure of his first start against a high-performing Seattle unit.