The Las Vegas Raiders are transitioning to a new era.
No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza is the future of the franchise, but they will take things slowly with him, even if that means having him sit for a while.
The Raiders signed Kirk Cousins, a familiar face to new head coach Klint Kubiak, and a proven veteran, to lead the way early on in the season.
That’s why, as much as he knows his job has an expiration date, he’ll try to force the Raiders to keep him on the field. In an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” the former Minnesota Vikings quarterback shared his two cents on the competition.
Kirk Cousins won’t cut Fernando Mendoza any slack
“I think it comes with the territory. You’re 15 years in the league, and I’m no stranger to how this thing works,” Cousins said. “You go out there, play the best you can, help your team the best you can, contribute to our team’s success, and let the decisions get made as they get made.”
Coach Kubiak dismissed the narrative that he was there to be Mendoza’s mentor, and it seems he feels the same way.
Cousins knows the best way to help his new team won’t be only by lifting up his younger replacement, but actually leading them to wins while he’s still out there:
“But I expect to be able to help this team win and to be out there on the field, and you roll with whatever happens. You stay focused on what’s going on inside the building. I don’t think it’s ever helped me to look at what’s happening outside the building. Just go enjoy the process with your teammates and your coaches, and we’ll see where it all settles out,” he added.
If things go well for Mendoza, the Raiders will have a franchise quarterback for the next decade-plus, so there’s no need to make any rash decisions or throw him into the fire if he’s not ready.
They’re in a rare situation where they can afford to be patient and let him grow through his mistakes.
Cousins is on the final stretch of his career, and he knows he won’t be a long-term solution in Sin City. In the meantime, however, he won’t go down without a fight.