Kirk Cousins, 37, was released by the Atlanta Falcons after two underwhelming seasons, where he eventually lost his starting job to Michael Penix Jr. Despite that, the veteran has landed a massive five-year, $172 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Still, not everyone is convinced he should start right away, with at least one expert arguing that handing the reins to Mendoza might be the smarter move moving forward.

“I don’t think there’s any way that you draft Fernando Mendoza number one overall and then Kirk Cousins plays,” former NFL star Chase Daniel admitted. “I mean, this is purely for a high-character, high-IQ quarterback room to help the growth of Fernando Mendoza. And they are the same. He’s one of the guys that I’m like, ‘When you break Mendoza down, you’re like, ‘Okay, I can see some Kirk Cousins has a much stronger arm at that point coming out than Kirk Cousins was as a fourth-round pick.’ But you can also see all the traits in him.”

It’s almost certain that the Silver and Black will use the No. 1 pick on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. That didn’t stop Raider Nation from reacting when the team signed Cousins to a five-year, $172 million deal that is really just a one-year, fully guaranteed $20 million commitment.

Cousins’ joining the team changes the quarterback situation, which was relying only on Aidan O’Connell as backup. More importantly, it gives Las Vegas options. They can take their time with Mendoza and let him adjust to the league instead of throwing him into games right away.

Cousins brings serious experience to Allegiant Stadium. The 37-year-old has started more than 200 games over 14 seasons and piled up close to 45,000 passing yards. He understands how to run the offense, make precise throws, and navigate complicated playbooks.

So, who will start in Week 1? Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak addressed it at the NFL Annual Meeting.

“I think ideally you don’t want him to start from Day 1,” Kubiak said about starting a rookie QB. “You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world. I know, as I said before, it doesn’t always work out that way… I think it does help the player, though, if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”

Kubiak was talking about rookie quarterbacks, not specifically about Mendoza. This brings us back to the discussion. Mendoza is definitely talented enough to start right away, but having Cousins around has created mixed feelings.

Cam Newton questions the Raiders’ Kirk Cousins move

Once the Las Vegas Raiders signed Kirk Cousins, people quickly started talking. On his podcast, former NFL quarterback Cam Newton made a bold comment, saying the veteran is “taking advantage of the NFL again,” which sparked a debate in the Raider Nation.

“Let’s talk about Kirk Cousins’ performance,” Cam Newton said. “You mean to tell me, Coach [Klint] Kubiak, you wanted to have a bridge quarterback that can help a young player? Last year, Michael Tarrence Penix Jr. had this to say. ‘I get no support. They were teammates. The handwriting was on the wall.”

Newton explained that concern directly to mentorship, something he believes Cousins has not shown.

“No,” Penix said last November when asked if he had anyone to turn to for advice. “Mentally, my fiancé… she’s always there for me. But as far as physically and on-the-field stuff, there’s not anybody I talk to as far as another quarterback or anything like that.”

At that point, Cousins was still under a huge contract, having signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in March 2024, which included $100 million guaranteed and a $50 million signing bonus, but his time there ended after only two seasons.

Now, the same conversation has followed him to Sin City, where the Silver and Black face a similar setup.

“Coach Kubiak, I just want you to understand where we are at,” Newton added. “And I’m trying to tell you to be exact: that this right here can be a distraction. Oh, good grief. Boy, those boys are hard, boy. You’re off the tracks. Oh, good god almighty. There’s no way, shape, or form that Kirk Daniel Cousins has ever shown that he can help somebody be better.”

Now that all eyes are on head coach Klint Kubiak. He needs to handle a well-paid veteran and a promising future star while ensuring the team stays united and focused.