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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Kirk Cousins is one of the longest-tenured quarterbacks in the NFL, and now he's taking on a mentorship role with the Las Vegas Raiders and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
But even with the Raiders spending the first overall pick on Mendoza, it's the soon-to-be 38-year-old veteran, Cousins, who was named Vegas' starting quarterback ahead of training camp.
However, Cousins isn't taking the job for granted. "I think in this league, it's kind of one day at a time." Cousins said after the Raiders' opening practice. "You're only as good as your last throw, your last practice. So you try to every day go out and earn that opportunity and never take anything for granted."
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Cousins has spent the last few seasons dealing with plenty of uncertainty, including a difficult two-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons. He was signed in March 2024 to be the starting quarterback, but he went on to post two of the worst seasons of his 15-year NFL career.
That ultimately ended with the franchise moving on from him, and Cousins joining the Raiders this offseason looking for a fresh start.
When head coach Klint Kubiak named Cousins the starter, he cited his experience and familiarity with the offensive system. Kubiak and Cousins worked together as quarterback and quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator during their time together in Minnesota from 2019 to 2021.
However, Kubiak made it clear that the competition isn't completely closed, with Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell expected to continue to push Cousins throughout camp.
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Cousins has been one of the league's most efficient and reliable quarterbacks for years, earning four Pro Bowl nods and leading the NFL with a 69.8% completion percentage in 2015. He boasts a career completion percentage of 66.7%, and also ranks 19th all-time in career passing yards (44,700) and 15th in career passing touchdowns (298).
That's the perfect type of player a young team like the Raiders can lean on while the future face of their franchise, Mendoza, develops. But even Cousins knows the NFL moves quickly, and one bad stretch can change everything — especially when there's a highly drafted rookie waiting to take over.
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