Kirk Cousins Welcomes Fernando Mendoza Challenge After Raiders Move

In a recent interview on ‘Good Morning Football’, Cousins welcomed the Mendoza challenge saying, “The best player should play. As long as that is the case, I have no qualms with however it plays out. But I do think Fernando is going to be a great addition to our team. I think he is going to have a great future in the league.”

What Will the Raiders Look Like With Cousins and Mendoza?

Las Vegas Raiders were clearly not interested in throwing a rookie quarterback into the lineup right away, which is a big reason why they brought in Kirk Cousins. The veteran signed a deal that gave him another chance to start while also putting him in position to help develop whoever the team drafted next.

That player was widely expected to be Fernando Mendoza, who had quickly become the favorite to go first overall. Las Vegas spent a lot of time scouting him during the pre-draft process, and the idea of having Mendoza learn behind Cousins seemed to line up perfectly with what the coaching staff wanted.

Cousins had spoken before about how difficult it can be for young quarterbacks when they are asked to start immediately. He believed the best situation is for a rookie to spend some time learning the offense, watching how a veteran prepares, and adjusting to the speed of the NFL before being handed the job.

The Raiders also liked the fact that Cousins already had experience working with Klint Kubiak from their years together in Minnesota. That familiarity gave the team a quarterback who already understood the system and could help stabilize the offense.

For Cousins, it was a fresh start after things went sideways with the Atlanta Falcons. For the Raiders, it was a move that gave them both a present and a future at quarterback.