The Las Vegas Raiders are officially heading into a new era after the storied NFL franchise decided to move on from veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, trading him to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round draft pick.
Even though Cousins played in only nine games for the Silver and Black, he left a lasting impression on the Raiders’ coaching staff, rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza and star defensive end Maxx Crosby, as well as the rest of his teammates in Las Vegas.
Maxx Crosby’s Favorite Kirk Cousins Memory Was Training Camp Fight
In the end, Cousins played a major part in establishing a culture under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak, but it got off to a rocky start well before the 2026 NFL season even began.
Although Cousins was highly praised by everyone in Las Vegas ahead of the 2026 campaign, the 38-year-old got into it with Crosby during training camp, which caused quite a stir.
Eventually, Crosby and Cousins saw eye to eye as leaders on both sides of the football, and ironically, the elite pass rusher says his favorite moment with the veteran gunslinger was their dust-up on the practice field, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN.
“We were literally in the locker room laughing about it [afterward]. The whole world is making it like we hate each other, and I’m an
“We were literally in the locker room laughing about it [afterward],” Crosby said of Cousins after the fight on the practice field. “The whole world is making it like we hate each other, and I’m an [expletive] because I went after Kirk because he’s an older guy, and all this stuff. It’s on ESPN, and we’re like, ‘Bro, how does this happen?’ But that’s the world we live in. We both laughed it off, and it really wasn’t nothing. Nobody threw a punch. He got pissed because I hit him, and he was screaming at me, and I’m like, ‘What the [expletive]?’ It really was as simple as that.
“He kept everything fun, but he was all business. He was like the ultimate professional, and I’ll love Kirk Cousins till the day I’m off this planet.”
Clearly, there’s nothing but respect between the two veterans, and it showed on and off the field.
Fernando Mendoza Ready for ‘Challenge’ of Facing Seahawks
With Cousins now back with the Vikings, where he had arguably the most success in his NFL career, the Raiders move on and will start rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza under center on Sunday against the visiting Seattle Seahawks at Allegiant Stadium.
Even though it’s a tall task for the former Heisman Trophy winner, Mendoza is up for the challenge against Kubiak’s old team.
“They’re a very impressive team,” Mendoza said of the Seahawks. “They’re one of the best defenses in the league, so it’s going to be a great challenge, and I’m excited to do my 111th out there.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the No. 1 overall pick holds up against arguably the best defense in the NFL.
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Shares Unexpected Favorite Kirk Cousins Memory