Fernando Mendoza's wait is over. Now he is trying not to make it bigger than it is.

The No. 1 overall pick said on Wednesday that being the Las Vegas Raiders' starting quarterback is a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity. The job opened up when the Raiders traded Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings.

Mendoza's first NFL start comes Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Seattle allows the fewest yards per game in the league.

'More developed'

"I'm a lot more confident as a quarterback and feel more developed, whether it's under center, connecting with teammates, understanding an NFL scheme," Mendoza said.

Coach Klint Kubiak said the Raiders will not be "peeling back anything" in the offense. He is comfortable with the 23-year-old running the full playbook.

Teammates have his back

Tight end Brock Bowers said he is excited to see Mendoza let it fly. "Everyone has faith in him," Bowers said. "He might have a bad play here and there, but you just got to flush it."

Receiver Tre Tucker said the first practice with Mendoza as the starter went "great." "You just see a throw in practice and say, 'Wow,'" Tucker said.

Missing his mentor

Mendoza said he had "no inkling" Cousins was about to be traded. He was in the locker room when the news broke.

He thanked Cousins and his family for welcoming him into their home in Las Vegas. "I'm going to miss him," he said. He added that he is "deeply thankful for everything that the Cousins family has offered to me."

Center Tyler Linderbaum said he was "absolutely" surprised by the trade. Tucker called Cousins "one of the best human beings" he has ever met.

"How Kirk is now, that's how Fernando will be when he's Kirk's age," Tucker said. "They were great together."