NFL News: Las Vegas In Spotlight With QB Signing, 2029 Super Bowl
With the March Madness basketball tournament ending, the NFL will take center stage in April when the annual player draft kicks off.
The 91st NFL draft is set April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. This is the first time the city has hosted the draft since 1948. During the three-day draft this month, 257 picks will be made.
With the first pick in 2026 draft, the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to select Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy-winner who led the Big Ten’s Indiana Hoosiers to a surprising national title this season.
Leading up to the draft, the Raiders signed quarterback Kirk Cousins, pictured, possibly to mentor the expected incoming rookie Mendoza. Cousins heads west from Atlanta, where he led the Falcons to a 5-3 record after stepping in for Michael Penix Jr. after the 2024 first-round pick was sidelined for the remainder of the season with an ACL tear.
Cousins, a 37-year-old veteran and four-time Pro Bowler, previously played for the Washington Redskins (later renamed the Washington Commanders) and Minnesota Vikings.
As USA Today reported, “Cousins could step in as a veteran starter for (head coach) Klint Kubiak's team, allowing Mendoza the opportunity to adjust and learn about the professional game."
The Raiders have cycled through several quarterbacks over the past few seasons, the latest being Geno Smith. The team is hoping for a boost at that position with Cousins on the roster and, if he is picked first as anticipated, also Mendoza.
The Raiders have not had a winning season since a 10-7 record in 2021. Below is the team’s record since then:
- 2022: 6-11
- 2023: 8-9
- 2024: 4-13
- 2025: 3-14
Super Bowl Returns To Las Vegas
Las Vegas also has been in the news in recent days with the announcement that the city will host Super Bowl LXIII in 2029. The game is set to be played in Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders' home stadium just west of the Las Vegas Strip.
The city previously hosted Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.
The Super Bowl is another component in the city’s effort to rebrand itself as the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World.
In addition to the NFL’s Raiders, Las Vegas is home to the NHL’s Golden Knights and WNBA’s Aces.
In 2028, Major League Baseball’s former Oakland Athletics plan to move into a stadium being built on the Strip where the Mob-era Tropicana hotel-casino once stood. The team, now known only as the Athletics, are playing home games temporarily at a minor league ballpark in Sacramento.
Also, the NBA is expected to finalize its the selection of Las Vegas and Seattle as the newest expansion teams, bringing the league to 32 teams.
Other major sports events in Southern Nevada include the annual Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The race course includes a portion of the Strip where major casinos like the Venetian, Caesars Palace, Bellagio and Planet Hollywood are located.
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