Kirk Cousins coming to the Las Vegas Raiders made sense on too many levels for it not to happen. Not only do the Silver and Black need a veteran mentor for likely No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, and the option to have him sit, if need be, but Cousins has too many ties to the coaching staff to count.
New Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak served as both his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator during his best years with the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko was Cousins' QB coach, and Cousins has worked with OL coach Rick Dennison.
But what flew under the radar is the fact that Cousins played in Minnesota with new Raiders wide receiver Jalen Nailor, who was signed in free agency last month. And it sounds like Cousins expects the Las Vegas native to step up into a bigger role for the Silver and Black's receiver room this year.
Kirk Cousins is seemingly expecting Jalen Nailor to have bigger role with Las Vegas Raiders
Cousins has made a few media appearances since letting pen hit paper on his contract at Raiders HQ, but he was introduced to the local media formally on Wednesday. Toward the end of the press conference, he was asked about his connection and expectations for Nailor in 2026.
"I'm really excited about Jalen because I was with him in Minnesota and I could see his ability," Cousins explained. "When you have Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, it's hard to get the ball as a receiver because (a quarterback is) going to target Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. And yet every time Jalen got opportunities, he showed what he could do. And I think that showed even more then once I left Minnesota. But I think to have him here now and in a bigger role, I think that's really exciting because it allows the player to really fulfill his potential. I think he knows that, I know that. I'm excited to get on the grass with him and (do) routes on air and (play together) in team drills, and just start to build that rapport and really allow him to have a much bigger role moving forward because he's capable of carrying a much bigger role."
It is true that there is only so much ball to go around. After Thielen left, Nailor was also stuck behind first-rounder Jordan Addison, and stud tight end T.J. Hockenson was there during Nailor's tenure as well, so his relative lack of production isn't really correlated with his talent or ability.
Nailor should have a clearer path to targets in the Raiders' wide receiver room, however, as only Tre Tucker is a proven commodity at the NFL level alongside him. Yes, Las Vegas has plenty of promise in the room, but those players need to beef up their on-field résumé before fans can expect too much.
Las Vegas wouldn't have paid Nailor the money that it did on the open market if it wasn't convinced that he was capable of doing more. Last season, he continued to show improvement, despite a lackluster quarterback situation, recording 29 catches for 444 yards and 4 touchdowns.
During his two years with Cousins, Nailor only caught a total of 12 passes for 208 yards and one touchdown. But Cousins always saw his potential, and both time and an increased opportunity with the Vikings allowed him to grow into the receiver that he is now.
His speed should be a factor, and Nailor's ability to get open in that intermediate level of the field and catch passes across the middle and toward the sidelines should be a benefit to whoever lines up under center for the Silver and Black. Playing in his hometown should also give Nailor a boost.
For the first time in his still relatively-young career, Nailor will be called upon to be one of the top targets in the passing game. It seems like the coaching staff and front office believe he can do it, and now his quarterback has voiced his belief. Nailor just needs to go out there and prove them right.