RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesKirk Cousins is no stranger to new places and new faces in his NFL career.
Cousins became part of his fourth franchise when he joined the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason ahead of his 15th year in the league. But the writing was also on the wall before he signed to reunite with Klint Kubiak and some other coaches he's worked with in the past.
The Raiders had the No. 1 overall pick – they were going to be taking Fernando Mendoza.
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That came to fruition weeks after Cousins inked his new deal with the Raiders. And, while it may not be a similar situation, Cousins has previously dealt with having a first-round draft choice with him in the quarterback room.
When Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons, it was a shock to the football world that they drafted Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington with the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
This time around, not choosing Mendoza would've been the shock of the draft.
The situation is similar for Cousins, though. He's not with the Raiders to simply help Mendoza along, but rather head coach Klint Kubiak has been very straightforward about Cousins being the team's starting quarterback to open training camp. And even though Kubiak hasn't officially named Cousins the starter heading into the regular season, the veteran has been taking most of the first-team reps at practices and was seen wearing a headset on the sideline in preseason game No. 2 against the Houston Texans like many sure-fire starters, while Mendoza got the reps on-field in the first half.
Kubiak even said last week that Cousins has had a great camp thus far, and it's "his job to lose."
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Fox News Digital caught up with Cousins before the game on Thursday night, in which he was asked about his relationship with Mendoza and how much he took from his time with Penix in Atlanta to this similar situation now.
"It’s been a great working relationship," Cousins responded, while highlighting his partnership with AWOL Vision. "The quarterback room is at its best when everyone’s pulling together, helping one another, and we’re all working as a force together to help all of us get better at our craft. That’s what it was in Atlanta, that’s what it is and will be in Vegas. That’s what I most enjoy about coming to work every day, having a great quarterback room that we all are in together. It’s been that way.
"Fernando’s a great worker and is quickly adapting and picking up to all that there is changing for him from college to the pros. I expect it to be a great year for both of us."
Mendoza is the Raiders' future at the position, but Kubiak has explained his desire for the Indiana product to learn and grow with a veteran in front of him. Throwing rookies into the fire, even if the first overall pick is spent on them, isn't always the right move. At least, if it doesn't necessarily need to be.
Both Cousins and Mendoza, as well as quarterback Aidan O'Connell, understand their competition with the new-look Raiders offense thus far at camp. Cousins said Mendoza has attacked every day without wondering if he's the starter or not, but rather as a sponge every rookie should be when entering the NFL.
"He’s a good question asker, so he’s been really asking questions, going back to the spring and through camp now, whenever he feels there’s something he needs to understand better, I think he has a great sense for the position," Cousins said about his teammate. "I think he has a great sense of urgency, which I think is important at this position at this level when the margins for error are so small. So, I think his sense of urgency will really help him in the years to come."
Cousins even noted learning from Mendoza, who he said has a knack for throwing back-shoulder passes. He and O'Connell have been asking what Mendoza sees in those situations that they could perhaps use in-game.
And then there's life outside of football. Cousins is known for his strong Christian beliefs, turning to it especially in times of adversity throughout his long career. He said that he prayed on whether this move to Las Vegas was right after learning of the Raiders' interest in him.
With Mendoza, another strong Christian believer, faith was one of the first conversations to come up when the rookie arrived out west.
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"I think even one of the first conversations when he arrived, he was asking if I’ve found a church yet in Vegas," Cousins said. "Obviously, this game of football and the journey we’re on, it can test us. There’s things that happen outside of football that can weigh on us. Certainly, with what his mom has gone through with her health, it’s been documented . And there’s a lot of different factors that play into what may weigh us down when we come into work.
"Being able to have an anchor that’s bigger than just our football success, it’s truly building your life on a sturdy foundation when you build it on your faith and not on the success of your football career, which is going to go up and down like a roller-coaster. It’s been good to have those conversations with him as well."
Make no mistake: Cousins doesn't want to hand the keys to the Raiders' offense over to Mendoza anytime soon – if and when Kubiak names him the Week 1 starter. He's gotten past the point of proving people wrong about whether he still has it at 38 years old. Rather, he is focusing on those like Kubiak who believe in him to get the job done this season.
Cousins is in Las Vegas to lead this team to wins. But he is also excited for what the future holds with Mendoza and building a bond with him throughout the 2026 season and beyond.
"I think it’s important for me to prove people right in the sense of you think of the people who have believed in you. The people who have supported you, the peo...
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