Aidan O'Connell was enjoying his final moments as the lone quarterback on the Las Vegas Raiders' roster before Indiana's Fernando Mendoza all but certainly joined the fold as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. And fans expected another QB addition, they just didn't know exactly what kind.
Some were in the camp of drafting two quarterbacks later this month, Mendoza and another in the latter half of Day 3, whereas others wanted a veteran to mentor the Raiders' top choice. Obviously, John Spytek and Co. settled on Kirk Cousins on Thursday. And Jon Gruden is a big fan of the move.
"Kirk in the Silver and Black!! Two of my favorites joining forces! Let’s GO!"Jon Gruden on Kirk Cousins signing
Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is a fan of Kirk Cousins signing
Now, Gruden's word holds varying amounts of weight depending on who one talks to in Raider Nation. But the team's twice-former head coach is a quarterback guru and has been around the block a time or two, so perhaps the fanbase should view this as a positive omen, personal feelings aside.
It's somewhat unclear who Gruden is referring to when he says, "two of his favorites" are joining forces in Las Vegas. It seems like he is referencing Mendoza, whom Gruden was quite high on during the college football season, and whom everyone thinks the Raiders are taking atop this year's draft.
And Gruden is right to be excited about this pairing, as their personalities should mesh incredibly well, and Cousins' mentorship may ultimately be a tremendous asset to Mendoza. Plus, it is just going to be fun seeing these two interact with the media, their teammates, and each other.
Gruden's relationship with Cousins dates back to when he had the young Michigan State quarterabck on his old ESPN Gruden QB Camp, which he held each year before the draft. Although their paths never intersected in the NFL, the two have seemingly stayed fairly close over the years.
Cousins reportedly brought several of his then-Atlanta Falcons teammates to go meet with Gruden in Tampa Bay, Florida, to talk football and break down some barriers in May of 2024. A year later, Cousins sent Gruden a gear box from Michigan State, which surely meant the world to Gruden.
Just a week or two ago, Cousins and his wife appeared on the Gruden Goes Long podcast. So, Gruden is obviously playing favorites a bit with his love of Cousins. But the veteran quarterback, although he is not a star anymore, if he ever was, may be just what Las Vegas and Mendoza need.
That is something to get excited about, no matter who is driving the hype train.