RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesThe Raiders signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to be their starter, and that’s exactly how he’s set to enter training camp.
Fernando Mendoza may have been the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. But at this point, it seems like a lot would have to change between now and Sept. 13 for Mendoza to be Las Vegas’ QB1 when the club plays Miami in Week 1.
“When we go out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback ,” head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters in his Tuesday press conference. “He’s the guy. And he’s going to get a ton of reps. And he deserves them, because he’s played really good football.
“But I want Fernando and I want Aiden [O’Connell] to push him.”
Mendoza may not have an early chance to supplant Cousins. But the Raiders do want to see continued growth and development from the young QB over the next several weeks.
“We’ve put a lot on his plate in this offseason. We expect a lot out of him as these practices start coming,” Kubiak said. "So, the thing that stands out to me is, he’s going to have plenty of adversity like his teammates. How does he deal with it? Does he make the same mistake twice? How quickly can he correct himself? When he does make a mistake, what’s his attitude like? What’s his demeanor like? Those are really important things for quarterbacks.”
As for Cousins, Kubiak noted that the veteran QB’s mentorship is important. But Cousins’ standing with the team is more about how he can help the team win through his on-field performance.
“His leadership, his veteran presence, the way that he played in the spring was excellent,” Kubiak said of Cousins. “We brought him here to play really good football. Obviously, the mentorship, that’s a byproduct of that. That’s the kind of guy that Kirk is. But Kirk knows, and Fernando knows, and Aiden knows, and Jacob [Clark] knows they’re here to play great football. That’s our job as coaches to get them ready for the other stuff.”
The Raiders’ first preseason game is slated for Thursday, Aug. 13 against the Cardinals.
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