We knew for months beforehand that the Las Vegas Raiders were going to draft Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the signing of Kirk Cousins did not change that. And in the weeks since he was drafted, the two Raiders' quarterbacks have developed an instant rapport.
Cousins made sure to rub salt in the wound for Atlanta Falcons fans before the Raiders ever made the Mendoza pick official. Unlike when Michael Penix Jr. was drafted, when he was blindsided and reportedly felt "slighted" by Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris, he wasn't upset this time around.
The 38-year-old has embraced the fun of being a mentor to a QB who's incredibly similar to him (in terms of play style and awkwardness). When the Raiders released their 2026 schedule, Cousins and Mendoza did a hilarious spoof of Step Brothers, and they even re-created the iconic movie poster. They seem to just have chemistry in ways Penix and Kirko Chainz never did.
Perhaps the difference is that Cousins knew it was coming this time, which softened the blow. Or maybe he's got more trust in his old OC Klint Kubiak than he ever did in Morris or Zac Robinson. And when you put it that way, it's hard to blame him for his anger over the mistakes of the prior regime, but fans have every right to be annoyed after his unceremonious exit.
Kirk Cousins is going to be the elite mentor he never was for Michael Penix Jr. for Fernando Mendoza
When the Falcons drafted Penix, Cousins was forced to deal with a cold realization: his time as a starter would be on a clock for the first time in nearly a decade. The 38-year-old had just signed a four-year, $180 million deal in Atlanta, yet the front office was already preparing for life after him.
In that situation, when he still felt he had quality football left in the tank as a starter, it's hard for a guy like that to put his ego aside and help out his eventual successor in Penix. But now that he's aware he's just a bridge starter or quality backup now, he knows his value lies in mentoring Mendoza.
Maybe he'll start a couple of games for the Raiders before Kubiak hands the reins over to Cousins, but either way, the slice of humble pie he was handed in Atlanta clearly helped him grow. In his first press conference as a Raider, he admitted he's okay if he doesn't earn Las Vegas' starting QB job.
Mendoza just led Indiana to its best season in program history. In a good situation, no doubt he's the future in Vegas However, the weapons aren't the only thing that makes up a good situation for a QB, It boils down to the support system, which Cousins will provide after seemingly learning from his mistakes with Penix. Weirdly enough, the rookie is the guy with more respect for Atlanta's QB1.
Hopefully Tua Tagovailoa will be willing to embrace the competition in ways Cousins never did, while also providing Penix with the mentorship he needs in order to resurrect both of their careers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google