The Las Vegas Raiders could have a QB battle on their hands with veteran Kirk Cousins and potentially former Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, who many expect the Silver and Black to take No. 1 overall at the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23.
Cousins accepted the situation and made it clear to head coach Klint Kubiak that the best player at each position should be on the field.
“If that’s not me, I don’t want to be out there,” Cousins said on April 8 (h/t Ryan McFadden of ESPN). “I don’t think that’s the best thing for the team. If I am the best option, then I believe it’s important that those guys are out there.
“… But I’m excited to get the chance to lead, help influence in the locker room, do my part and most importantly, help our team win.”
Amid those remarks from Cousins, Skip Bayless shared his thoughts on the Raiders’ QB situation as Cousins has his eyes on the starting job even if Las Vegas takes Mendoza.
“Kirk Cousins, to me, is a shrewd operator and always has been,” Bayless said in a April 11 video from “The Arena: Gridiron.” “It was a classic humble brag on Kirk’s part because he knows right now he’s probably better than Mendoza is. What he’s saying is he doesn’t want to be a bridge quarterback.”
Kirk Cousins Doesn’t Appear to Want to Be QB2 in Las Vegas
Moreover, Bayless noted that he believes Cousins doesn’t want to be an insurance policy for the Raiders, who want to have a veteran should Mendoza not be ready to take the reins as the starter.
“The way the Raiders view it is, we just need a bridge, we need a sacrificial lamb until our team gets good enough around Fernando Mendoza to support him,“ Bayless added.
“I think Kirk Cousins is saying, ‘Hey, I’m ready. Let’s go. I’ll show you just on savvy, experience and knowing how to play that position, I think I’m going to be better than him now, and I think I’ll be better than him next year.’“
New Raiders QB Kirk Cousins Talks Fernando Mendoza
Nonetheless, if the Silver and Black do select Mendoza, everyone knows he’s the future of the franchise. As a result, during an appearance on “Good Morning Football,“ Cousins spoke about the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and kind of let the cat out of the bag that he and Mendoza will be teammates.
“Honestly, I don’t want to start unless I’m the best option,“ Cousins said on the April 8 edition of “Good Morning Football.” “I told Klint the best players should play. As long as that’s the case, I have no qualms with however it plays out. I do think Fernando is going to be a great addition to our team.
“He’s going to have a great future in the league. I have no problem being a voice in the room to help him to the degree that I can. He’s going to have great support all around him from the coaching staff. Being able to watch a veteran quarterback go through his habits, routines, and process can be a great asset for him.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Raiders Get Blunt QB Reality Check Amid Kirk Cousins Stance appeared first on Heavy Sports.