Las Vegas Raiders fans still back Kirk Cousins despite a 3-3 start, but with 65% supporting him as of now, calls for Fernando Mendoza are getting harder to ignore.
The Raiders are 3-3 after another loss, and a majority of fans say Kirk Cousins is not the reason why.
In an ongoing poll on the RaiderRamble.com X account, 64.7% of the 309 voters at the time of publication said they have not seen enough of Cousins. The other 35.3% said they have. The poll remains open for six more days, so the numbers will change as more fans vote. The question asked fans to consider the team’s offensive line issues and lack of receiver talent.
The replies show why the vote leaned that way. Many fans pointed at the defense, which one follower said is allowing 34 points a game. Another noted that the Raiders’ offense is averaging 27 points a game and that a quarterback with 14 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 100 passer rating through six weeks would have thrilled fans before the season. Others singled out the defensive tackle room, third-and-long failures, red-zone field goals and a lack of second-half adjustments.
The “yes” side was not always about Cousins’ play. Several fans who want a change said it has nothing to do with him. They simply believe the season is slipping away and see value in giving rookie Fernando Mendoza live reps now. Some suggested a timeline, with Week 12 or Week 16 floated as possible dates. Others argued against it, saying Mendoza should not be put behind the current offensive line.
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That debate matters because it sits at the center of the Raiders’ roster planning. Cousins is serving as a bridge to Mendoza, and the team has to weigh the value of developing its quarterback of the future against the risk of exposing him behind a line that is already struggling. The depth chart concerns fans raised, from the defensive tackles to the guards to the receivers, are the same ones that make that decision harder. Playing Mendoza early does little good if the pieces around him are not ready.
The most likely outcome is that Cousins remains the starter while the defense takes the heat, with the Mendoza conversation growing louder if the losses continue to pile up.
Where do you stand? Has Cousins done enough to keep the job, or is it time to hand the offense to Mendoza?
*Top Photo: David Becker/Getty Images
Kirk Cousins is a good QB. His problem is his age. At 38, Cousins is old for the NFL’s speed. He cannot get out of sacks and he looks lethargic (even though he might not be). And throwing an interception per game doesn’t help his cause. It may be time to start rotating Mendoza in. This would throw off the opposing teams game strategy and may give the team a chance to score more points!