The first half of the 2026 NFL campaign is in the books, with Week 10 ushering in the second act of what’s been a wildly unpredictable season so far.
This week also brings a flurry of familiar faces in new places following Tuesday’s trade deadline. The first Sunday after all those deals always packs a little extra intrigue. Let’s start there as we look at the top storylines ahead of Week 10.
Cousins comes home to Minnesota. Can he get this offence back on track?
In terms of instant reaction, Tuesday’s trade that saw the Las Vegas Raiders deal veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings earned praise for both sides, a true win-win for all involved.
In Minnesota, the Vikings land a proven, familiar starting quarterback with the knowledge and skillset to bring a little shine to what’s been a very dull offence (to say the least). The history between team and player is a massive bonus, with Cousins poised to hit the ground running with his old head coach Kevin O’Connell and favourite weapon in Justin Jefferson. (Jefferson might just be the biggest winner in this deal, with his old pal back under centre and looking for him downfield.)
The Raiders, meanwhile, get to gracefully hand the playbook over to their No. 1 pick in a building year while getting solid value for the veteran placeholder who bought him time to learn from the sidelines.
More on Mendoza in our next storyline, though. For now, let’s talk Cousins.
That Cousins’ first game back in purple comes at Lambeau Field against the divisional-rival Packers feels almost poetic. That was, after all, the stadium where he last took a snap as a Viking — a first tenure that ended with a torn Achilles in October 2023.
The Vikings didn't win it all with Cousins at the helm, but it was a successful union overall. The QB1 surpassed 4,000 passing yards in four of his six seasons in Minnesota and led the Vikings to two playoff berths, including a division-topping 13-4 record in 2022 in which Jefferson earned offensive player of the year honours. His tenure looks even better with the benefit of hindsight, considering the revolving door that has been Minnesota's QB room since his departure.
This season alone, four different QBs have suited up for Minnesota through just eight games. Considering the importance of Sunday’s matchup against Green Bay — with the Bears’ win total paused at seven while on bye and the Lions, Vikings, and Packers all sitting with six, the importance of this NFC North matchup cannot be overstated. Minnesota won their first meeting of the season, but back-to-back losses has their early momentum firmly in the rear-view mirror while Green Bay has looked solid in back-to-back wins heading into Week 10.
Raiders hand the reins to the rookie
Ever since the Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza first overall back in April, the question has been asked: When will he actually start? Despite the Raiders making obvious their plan to let the new kid sit and learn from the sidelines, the curiosity persisted each week.
Now, with Cousins moved to Minnesota and the QB1 slot wide open, we have our answer. Mendoza will get his first NFL start this Sunday with a Week 10 matchup against the defending Super Bowl champs.
Pressure? Yeah, just a little bit. While the 2026 Seattle Seahawks have fallen back down to earth since hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, their defence remains a force to be reckoned with. Through nine weeks, Seattle’s defence has held opponents to a league-low 5.5 yards per attempt through the air and just 3.4 yards per carry on the ground (second only to the 49ers).
Beyond the cold, hard numbers are the ingenious defensive schemes Mike Macdonald draws up. The Seahawks head coach is a master of disguises and well-placed pressures, both of which give even the most experienced of veterans trouble. Plug a rookie in there, in his first-ever career start, and that’s a tough assignment.
We’re about to find out just how much Mendoza has learned while waiting for his big moment.
In the season-wide scheme of things — a.k.a., the NFL standings — the stakes are relatively low for the Raiders, who hit mid-season just below .500 with a 4-5 record and dwindling playoff hopes. But how Mendoza handles the pressure (both literally and figuratively) Sunday will no doubt will tell us a lot about who he can be in the NFL.
First glimpses of trade targets in new threads
While Cousins landing back with the Vikings made the biggest headlines — and has the potential to have the biggest, most immediate impact, too — there are plenty of other moves that will be in the spotlight this weekend.
Mahomes has a new weapon: The Chiefs acquired wide receiver Josh Downs from Indianapolis’ fire sale (a sale that somehow didn’t result in Jonathan Taylor being moved?!) and the 25-year-old is pumped about it. He should be. The pending free agent requested a trade as he watched teammates dealt away, and lands in a great situation with an opportunity to help Patrick Mahomes’ offence right away. As the Chiefs deal with ongoing injuries on offence, Downs can slot in beside a newly healthy Rashee Rice. With running back Kenneth Walker’s status in question heading into Sunday’s date with the Falcons, Downs & Co. could be relied upon early and often to get this offence moving.
The Ravens turn to Jacoby Brissett: There is the slightest of hope for Lamar Jackson to return this season from his thumb injury, but in the meantime… this is Jacoby Brissett’s team now. Baltimore traded for the Cardinals QB after backup Tyler Huntley was ruled out for the rest of the season with a toe injury. Clearly, despite the setbacks under centre, the Ravens aren’t throwing in the towel. Even after four straight losses, they’re still very much in the AFC North race. At 4-5, they’re two losses shy of first-place Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, but with four divisional matchups still ahead (two of which are against the Steelers), the opportunity is there. A win against the 0-8 Chargers Monday would be a great place to launch a second-half surge with their new leading man.
Jacksonville goes all-in: The busiest buyers at the deadline? That was the Jaguars, who closed out the first half of the season with a significant divisional lead and now enter their second act with some serious defensive upgrades. It’s unclear how much safety Jessie Bates III, and defensive tackles Davon Godchaux and Jordan Davis will play on Sunday against the Titans — perhaps head coach Liam Coen and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile will ease them into their new roles? However they approach things, we’ll get our first glimpse of this revamped defence, and it could be scary.
Game to watch: Steelers @ Bengals, Sunday 8:20 p.m.
The Sunday-nighter has a fitting timeslot, as this AFC North showdown looks worthy of the prime-time stage — just look at what happened last time they met.
Their Week 3 matchup saw Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers throw three touchdowns each, with nearly identical passing totals (282 yards for Burrow, 292 for Rodgers) in an offence-heavy 30-27 victory for Pittsburgh. Cincinnati’s offence has only gotten hotter since then, while the Steelers’ output has remained steady amid up-and-down play from their veteran QB.
The stakes are notably higher now, at the midway point of the season. The Steelers and Bengals both enter Week 10 on a four-game win streak and with identical 6-2 records on the season. Pittsburgh is 2-1 within the division, the allure of a second victory over Cincinnati palpable in what’s sure to be a tight race in the North that could require some tie-breaker scenarios. The Bengals, meanwhile, can take the division lead with a series-tying victory.
Let’s hope we’re in for another fun one.
Full Week 10 schedule (all times ET)
Thursday, Nov. 12: Commanders 24 @ Giants 21
Sunday, Nov. 15
New England Patriots @ Detroit Lions, 9:30 a.m. (in Munich)
Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m.
Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.
Houston Texans @ Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets, 1 p.m.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.
Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m.
Seattle Seahawks @ Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals, 8:20 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 16: Los Angeles Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m.
Bye week: Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
