From the moment the Las Vegas Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick and selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the assumption around the league was simple: find a veteran quarterback who could help ease the rookie’s transition into the NFL.
The Raiders did exactly that when they signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins following the departure of Geno Smith.
But according to head coach Klint Kubiak, there’s a major misconception about why Cousins is in Las Vegas. He’s not here to be a mentor. He’s here to compete.
Cousins Was the Perfect Fit
The Raiders entered the offseason needing both a franchise quarterback for the future and a capable veteran for the present. After moving on from Smith, Las Vegas explored a free-agent market that offered very few proven starting options.
Cousins immediately stood out. The 14-year veteran brought experience, leadership, familiarity with Kubiak’s offensive system, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to still win games at a high level.
For many observers, Cousins seemed like the ideal bridge quarterback who could simultaneously help develop Mendoza. Kubiak sees it differently. When asked directly about Cousins mentoring Mendoza, Kubiak quickly shut down that narrative.
“I never ask anybody to be a mentor,” Kubiak said. “If you’re on the roster, it’s to play and play really well for the team.”
The Raiders head coach made it clear that every quarterback in the room has the same responsibility. “That’s the quarterback’s job all three of them is to get ready to play and win games at a high level.”
For Kubiak, competition is the foundation of player development. “When everybody’s doing that, they’re pushing each other, it creates competition and the whole roster gets better,” he said.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
