The Las Vegas Raiders are widely expected to make Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza the top overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. But the franchise also wanted to have a reliable veteran backup in the fold as well and the team did that in signing Kirk Cousins.
Cousins has been in the league for 14 years now with multiple Pro Bowl appearances to his name so he should be able to help ease the transition from college to pro for Mendoza. And while the veteran admits he hasn’t studied Mendoza’s game too much, from what he has seen the Indiana product is ahead of where he was at that same point in his career.
“I didn’t win a National Championship or a Heisman Trophy, so I sure would have loved to have that, but I think he’s, at his stage, he’s much ahead of me,” Cousins said during his introductory press conference with the Raiders. “But if you’re talking about playing with timing, playing with accuracy, wanting to understand things, have good vision of the field, good feel for the position, those are traits that I’ve always tried to pride myself on and being accountable to your teammates. I haven’t studied Fernando, but from a little bit I’ve observed from a distance watching games, I’m a Big Ten guy, watch Big Ten games, I think he has a lot of a natural feel for the position.”
While Cousins was never considered to have the most elite physical traits as a quarterback, he has carved out a long career due to having those attributes he spoke of such as accuracy, timing and vision. Mendoza is viewed in a similar light with accuracy and timing being his best traits, along with excellent intangibles and leadership skills.
No matter how good a player is coming out of college, and Mendoza was excellent in winning the Heisman Trophy and leading Indiana to an undefeated season and National Championship, there is almost always a learning curve when coming to the NFL. And having someone like Cousins to help guide him along the way should pay great dividends.
Kirk Cousins believes best player should start at QB for Raiders
While Cousins knows the Raiders will almost definitely be drafting Mendoza, he did not sign with this franchise solely to be a backup and mentor. Cousins still believes he can play at a high level and he feels that whoever is the best player should be the Raiders’ starting quarterback.
