When the Las Vegas Raiders signed Kirk Cousins in free agency, the likely hope was that he could be the starting quarterback this season. However, they later used the No. 1 pick on quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Many are going to be eager to see the star rookie play, but the Raiders don’t want to rush things. Even if Cousins plays well, it’ll be hard to keep Mendoza off the field.
He’s going to have to be playing at a very high level to keep the rookie at bay. Not everybody is buying that’s going to be the case. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put a list together of quarterbacks who are most likely to get benched this season, and Cousins was one of the names to appear.
“And if the 37-year-old plays well enough, Mendoza might be learning from the bench for the entire season,” Knox wrote. “Let’s not forget that the Falcons went 5-3 with Cousins as the starter last year and might well have won the NFC South if it had leaned on him all season. If Las Vegas is a surprise playoff team with Cousins at the helm, hold off on passing the proverbial torch.
“If the Raiders aren’t in a position to make a run, however, they’ll turn things over to Mendoza once they feel he is prepared to start.”
Cousins Gets Praise From Raiders Coach
If Cousins loses the job, it won’t be because the coaches don’t like him. He’s got a lot of fans on the team’s coaching staff. Raiders quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan hasn’t worked with Cousins until this year, but he’s been impressed.
“Kirk is a true pro and a good person, a good man,” Sullivan told reporters recently. “He’s been very helpful in the room. Aidan has been tremendous as well. He’s very, very smart and really been able to fit in well within this system. Those guys know what it takes. They’ve been in tight games and they’ve been in two-minute drives. That perspective is one they can share with the young guys.”
Maxx Crosby Impressed With Mendoza
Even if Cousins starts every game for the Raiders this season, he’s not the future at quarterback. That title belongs to Mendoza. He was the No. 1 pick in the draft for a reason.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby has seen a number of quarterbacks come and go throughout his career. Early on, he has been very excited about what he’s seen from Mendoza.
“He’s an awesome kid,” Crosby told reporters. “Everyone knows his ability, what they’ve seen, especially this past season at Indiana. It couldn’t have been a greater year for an individual player at a college level, winning the Heisman, winning the Natty, not losing a game, having a game-winning touchdown in the national championship. Like, he checked every single box and some, but now you come to the NFL and you’re on ground zero.
“I think that’s what the most important thing is when you’re a young guy coming in the league, is realizing that.”
New Raiders Vet Already Named Bench Candidate Before Playing Game