Kirk Cousins resumed first-team reps on Monday, indicating that the Las Vegas Raiders‘ quarterback drama is subsiding after that the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback drama is cooling down following Fernando Mendoza’s weekend opportunity
Kirk Cousins was back running with the first-team offense at Raiders training camp Monday, and by most accounts, it was his best day yet. Silver & Black Sports Network’s Jesse Merrick called him “surgical,” pointing to a throw of the day, a contested 50/50 ball to rookie wide receiver Malik Benson on third down. Levi Edwards of the team’s official website was just as complimentary, reporting two touchdown passes, one to tight end Brock Bowers and another to Jalen Nailor, on what he described as Cousins’ best outing of camp.
The starter had been held out Saturday after a sideline scuffle with edge rusher Maxx Crosby, which gave backup Fernando Mendoza a chance to work with the first team. That chance came with mixed results. Merrick reported the rookie struggled early, found some rhythm with a string of short completions in team drills, then threw an interception to cornerback Greedy Vance during two-minute work. It was Vance’s second pick of Mendoza this camp, according to Edwards.
What are the expectations for Fernando Mendoza?
Thursday’s preseason opener is now on the horizon, and Merrick raised a fair question: how much work will Mendoza actually get with the first unit once games start counting, and for that matter, how many starters will play at all.
Elsewhere at practice, Edwards noted that defensive linemen Tonka Hemingway and Thomas Booker are starting to look the part inside, while Benson kept making the kind of difficult catches that could earn him a bigger role in the receiver rotation.
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Not everyone was on the field Monday. Wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. and offensive lineman Caleb Rogers both sat out, though Merrick noted Rogers said over the weekend that he felt fine, suggesting the absence is more precaution than concern.
Away from the field, cornerback Jermod McCoy opened up about what Thursday’s opener means to him. It will be his first game action since Dec. 21, 2024. “At any point, this game can be taken from you,” he told reporter Sam Warren. “So just always cherishing these moments.”
Camp is winding down and preseason football is nearly here, but the competition for snaps, at quarterback and everywhere else on the roster, is still very much alive.
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