Only a few weeks separate Las Vegas Raiders fans from finally hearing Fernando Mendoza's name called with the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Watching the elite young prospect cross that stage, shake Roger Goodell's hand and don the Silver and Black for the first time will be absolutely electric.
And while it seems incredibly likely that he'll waltz into Raiders HQ and immediately become the Day 1 starter, based on what Las Vegas has done in free agency, John Spytek and Klint Kubiak still haven't seemed particularly amped up about trotting a rookie quarterback out there to start right away.
Kirk Cousins has been the most commonly floated name, and The Athletic's Dianna Russini believes that the Raiders will show interest in him. But a deal hasn't exactly gotten done yet, and it seems like at least one other team, the Los Angeles Rams, is talking about onboarding the veteran signal-caller.
Las Vegas Raiders may have Kirk Cousins competition in Los Angeles Rams
At the NFL Annual League Meeting on Monday, Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters that adding Cousins as a backup to MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford is an option for them. Now, he also noted that bringing Jimmy Garoppolo back could be in the cards, but Cousins is interesting.
Multiple times this offseason, I have noted that Cousins is an "OG Shanahan tree disciple." But he is also one of the first branches of the McVay tree, as he was the quarterback during McVay's first years as an offensive coordinator back in the day with the Washington Redskins.
Cousins may view Las Vegas as a place where he won't start right away, thanks to the presence of Mendoza. But, based on what Spytek and Kubiak have said, one would think that he feels like he has to have a better chance of starting for the Raiders, even if temporarily, than he would in Los Angeles.
Yes, Stafford is probably done after this year, and Cousins could be in line to start in 2027. But does a quarterback entering his age-38 season want to wait around for another year, or be the "heir to the throne," knowing he won't sit there long?
In reality, Cousins is going to wait to make his decision. Some kind of injury or uncertainty will pop up, and Cousins' camp is likely scouring the league for an opening for him to become a starter. Something tells me that, if the Raiders promised him a big role, perhaps he'd already be signed.
But, no matter how you look at this situation, whether you want to sign Cousins as a bridge or veteran backup to Mendoza or not, Las Vegas isn't the only team kicking the tires on him. If they want to make a play for an experienced player who knows Kubiak's offense, they'll at least have some competition.