Fernando Mendoza Gets His First Start: The Rookie Cards to Know Before Sunday

Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, will make his first career start for the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at home against the Seattle Seahawks, after the Raiders traded Kirk Cousins to Minnesota, general manager John Spytek announced, per ABC30. For Fernando Mendoza rookie card collectors, the timing is tight: 2026 Topps Chrome Football, with his #351 rookie, hits hobby and retail shelves on November 18, per Checklist Insider, which listed First Day Issue Jumbo boxes for November 13.

The Start

• The trade: Kirk Cousins went to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round pick on Tuesday, November 10, per KTNV
• The opponent: the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, at home, with the Raiders at 4-5 as of November 11, per ABC30
• The résumé: a Heisman Trophy and Indiana's first national title, with 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns in his one season there, per ABC30

"We feel that he's ready to go and we're excited to have him take the ball for the game here on Sunday," Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said at the team's November 10 news conference, per KTNV.

Fernando Mendoza's Key Cards

• 2026 Topps Chrome #351: his Chrome rookie card, with Image and Chrome Etch variations, releasing November 18, per Checklist Insider
• 2026 Topps Chrome Rookie Variation Autograph RVA-FM: with Refractor parallels from /499 down to a SuperFractor 1/1, per Checklist Insider
• 2026 Topps Midnight Football: base rookie #21 plus Rookie Jersey Autograph RJA-FM, Rookie Horizon Signatures RHS-FM, Midnight Oil Marks MOM-FM and a Base Autograph, released November 13, 2026, per Checklist Insider
• 2026 Topps Flagship Football: Mendoza is the set's cover athlete, per SI on July 13, 2026, and the product hit retail August 21
• 2025 Bowman college cards: his 1st Bowman Chrome and Bowman University cards from his Indiana season, the source of his biggest reported sales through May 1, 2026, per SI

His Biggest Reported Sales, College to Pro

Per Card Ladder data reported by SI:

• $78,000: Bowman Chrome Superfractor, BGS 9, still his top sale as of May 1, 2026, per SI
• $18,000: 2025 Bowman's Best University Superfractor 1/1, PSA 10, his top sale in the week after the draft and his third-highest ever as of May 1, 2026, per the same report
• $6,500: 2026 Topps Flagship Football All Kings super short print (SSP), the highest sale in that product as of August 27, 2026, per SI
• $3,050: 2026 Topps Football First Signature Autograph (blue ink), August 26, 2026, per the same SI report

SI's November 11 analysis, headlined "Fernando Mendoza Starting Could be a Windfall the Hobby Needed," also pointed to recent comps: Drake Maye's 2024 Mosaic holo rookie sold for roughly $60 to $80 raw at release and settled at $20 and under by the new year, per Card Ladder data cited by SI. We found no dated sales reacting to Mendoza's start yet.

What It Means for Collectors

Our take: after a Week 5 cameo (6 of 8 for 48 yards, per ABC30), Sunday is his first real NFL test for a card market built on college play and draft position, and Topps Chrome hits hobby shelves three days later with his #351 rookie. That puts a lot of supply and a lot of attention in the same week. If you want to compare formats before buying, our Topps Midnight Football breakdown covers this week's high-end release, and Topps Chrome Football 2026 covers the full Chrome release.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Fernando Mendoza's first start?

Sunday, November 15, 2026, at home against the Seattle Seahawks, after the Raiders traded Kirk Cousins to Minnesota, per ABC30 and KTNV.

What is Fernando Mendoza's rookie card?

His Topps Chrome rookie is 2026 Topps Chrome #351, releasing November 18, 2026. He also has rookie autographs in 2026 Topps Chrome (RVA-FM) and 2026 Topps Midnight Football, including RJA-FM and RHS-FM.

What is Fernando Mendoza's most expensive card?

The highest public sale we found is a Bowman Chrome Superfractor graded BGS 9 at $78,000, his top sale as of May 1, 2026, per Card Ladder data reported by SI. Mark Cuban has since bought his 1/1 2026 Topps Flagship rookie patch autograph, but the price has not been made public, per SI on October 28, 2026.

Where to Go From Here

Fernando Mendoza makes his first start on November 15, 2026, and Topps Chrome Football follows on November 18. Before release day, the Polkastarter marketplace gives you a free mystery pack when you sign up, and every Lootbox lists its contents, values, and chances before you open it.

Details checked November 14, 2026. Team news is as reported by ABC30 and KTNV. Card prices are past sales as reported on the dates given. Nothing here is financial advice. Polkastarter is not affiliated with the NFL, the Las Vegas Raiders, Topps, Fanatics, Card Ladder or the other companies named.

Sources

• ABC30: Raiders name Fernando Mendoza starting QB after trading Kirk Cousins, published November 11, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026
• KTNV: Las Vegas Raiders trade Kirk Cousins to Minnesota, published November 10, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026
• Sports Illustrated: Fernando Mendoza Starting Could be a Windfall the Hobby Needed, published November 11, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026
• Sports Illustrated: Fernando Mendoza's Top Card Sales Soaring Since Being Selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft, published May 1, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026
• Sports Illustrated: Quarterbacks Dominate Highest Rookie Sales of 2026 Topps Flagship Football, published August 27, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026
• Sports Illustrated: Topps Announces 2026 Topps Flagship Football Cover Athlete, Release Date, published July 13, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026
• Sports Illustrated: Mark Cuban Reveals the 1-of-1 Fernando Mendoza Card He Bought, published October 28, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026
• Checklist Insider: 2026 Topps Chrome Football checklist guide, published November 13, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026
• Checklist Insider: 2026 Topps Midnight Football checklist, published November 13, 2026, accessed November 14, 2026