Why Raiders' Tom Brady may be hyped about marrying Fernando Mendoza with Kirk Cousins, Klint Kubiak

Kirk Cousins is willing to take a back seat to presumed No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza if Mendoza emerges as the Las Vegas Raiders' best quarterback later this summer.

However, previous comments offered by Las Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady suggest that Cousins is on track to be the Raiders' Week 1 QB1. 

Brady is allegedly serving as "the de facto boss when it comes to football matters" for the Raiders this offseason. For a piece published on Wednesday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated touched upon why Brady may be eager to have Cousins and Kubiak working with Mendoza later this year. 

How Kirk Cousins could be "invaluable" for the Raiders, Fernando Mendoza

"Kubiak was Cousins' position coach in Minnesota for two years, and his coordinator for a third year, and Cousins' background in the coach’s scheme goes back to the quarterback having Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay as his coordinators for the first five years of his career in Washington," Breer explained. "As such, Cousins will be able to give Mendoza a player’s viewpoint on what Kubiak is trying to build, which should be invaluable." 

The Raiders can escape what is basically a one-year, $20M contract that Cousins signed to join the club as soon as next offseason. That said, the money attached to the deal could lead one to believe he and not Mendoza will enter September atop the Vegas depth chart. 

Does Tom Brady see himself in Fernando Mendoza?

"It’s significant that Tom Brady was at the Raiders’ facility on Tuesday for Fernando Mendoza’s 30 visit, just as it was noteworthy that he was at Indiana’s final game, the CFP title against Miami, in January," Breer added. "I do think Brady will identify with Mendoza’s story, and how he transformed himself from a middling prospect with good-not-great tools into the No. 1 pick in the draft. I think he’ll identify with Mendoza’s work ethic and drive, and strong family background, as well."

Of course, Breer was referencing how Brady went from being a prospect who fell to the 199th overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft to becoming the quarterback widely viewed as the GOAT. Considering what was previously said about how the Raiders view Mendoza after completing research on him, it seems likely this week's meeting helped confirm a decision regarding the draft's first pick that has truly been a lock for some time.