Raiders' Kirk Cousins shares helpful advice for Fernando Mendoza amid Week 1 uncertainty

A recent story suggested that at least some Las Vegas Raiders players will be just fine if first-year head coach Klint Kubiak ultimately names free-agency signing Kirk Cousins the team's Week 1 starting quarterback over rookie and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza.

Veteran players such as Cousins and star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby have taken Mendoza under their figurative wings this spring. For a piece published on Monday, Josh Kendall of The Athletic shared useful advice that Cousins has for younger players in the early stages of their careers.

Kirk Cousins to Fernando Mendoza: Win the long game

"You have to win the long game," Cousins recently explained. "That’s the big thing I tell my teammates and myself. A lot of guys win the short game. They have a good week, they have a good season, they have a good couple seasons, but can you do it for a decade?"

Cousins entered the league when the franchise now known as the Washington Commanders selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has since made 167 career regular-season starts with a total of three different clubs. 

The perception exists that Kubiak and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady want Mendoza to spend at least part of the signal-caller's rookie season sitting on the sidelines while Cousins plays. That said, Mendoza has been as good, if not better, than expected throughout springtime workouts. It's possible that he could get the nod for Las Vegas' Week 1 home game versus the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13 if he outperforms Cousins in preseason contests. 

How Fernando Mendoza can win the long game while with the Raiders

"The key to winning the long game is not thinking about eight years from now," Cousins added. "It’s having habits that you can apply on a daily basis that, if you just lean into those habits, you will win the long game."

That long game may involve Mendoza having to avoid getting discouraged if he enters September as the Raiders' QB2. After all, he could find himself one play away from having to face a live defense in a meaningful game if he is Cousins' primary backup on Sept. 13.