Analysis: Kirk Cousins in control at QB as Raiders open training camp

Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks Kirk Cousins (8) passes arsenic Fernando Mendoza (15) looks connected during the archetypal signifier of grooming campy astatine Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center successful Henderson Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Photo by: Steve Marcus

Kirk Cousins made a batch of throws Wednesday greeting successful the Raiders’ archetypal signifier of grooming campy — and a batch of noise.

The measurement was mostly turned down a fewer notches compared with the early-season sessions of the past mates years wherever erstwhile coaches Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll emphasized the rah-rah approach. Much similar first-year manager Klint Kubiak himself, the proceedings came disconnected much businesslike.

Music played for a minimum of time, with the speakers not precisely rumbling to a playlist chiefly comprised of state songs. Shouting was kept to a comparative minimum, but for the moments aft Cousins delivered a large play.

Whether it was flexing and screaming, yelling retired a correction to a receiver connected a way oregon hitting an violative lineman connected the helmet, Cousins fto his emotions show.

“I’ve ever been beauteous spirited and competitory successful signifier and person a small interior fire,” Cousins said afterward. “Sometimes I tin beryllium comparatively calm but, if you rattle the cage, past possibly you spot a small antithetic guy. Sometimes it’s bully to get my cage rattled due to the fact that it brings retired the champion successful me.”

Perhaps the 37-year-old’s cage is rattled by each the treatment whether he deserves to participate the play arsenic the Raiders’ quarterback, oregon whether that would simply beryllium delaying the inevitable of No. 1 wide draught prime Fernando Mendoza taking over.

Cousins took each of the first-team snaps successful the archetypal practice, conscionable arsenic Kubiak announced helium would Tuesday. The enactment has besides powerfully implied passim the offseason that Mendoza would request to beryllium near-perfect successful grooming campy and the offseason to unseat Cousins astatine the apical of the extent chart.

That didn’t hap successful a pass-heavy signifier Wednesday, though Mendoza performed good himself taking the bulk of the second-team snaps with Aidan O'Connell besides cycling in. But Cousins showed nary contiguous signs of interest coming disconnected a mediocre, injury-plagued two-year tally with the Atlanta Falcons.

“I deliberation successful this league, it’s benignant of 1 time astatine a time,” helium said. “You're lone arsenic bully arsenic your past throw, your past practice. You effort to each time spell retired and gain that accidental and ne'er instrumentality thing for granted."

Mark his astir caller signifier arsenic a success.

Cousins didn’t propulsion arsenic overmuch arsenic an incompletion done the archetypal hr of practice, which chiefly consisted of drills and 7-on-7 work, and helium lone saw the shot deed the crushed doubly for the full time including the closing squad period.

One of his champion plays came connected an intermediate way crossed the assemblage to second-year receiver Jack Bech, but helium besides connected successful benignant to apical targets similar Brock Bowers and Jalen Nailor.

“Everybody sees erstwhile helium has that occurrence whether it’s twelvemonth 1 oregon twelvemonth nine, twelvemonth 12, immoderate it whitethorn be,” violative coordinator Andrew Janocko said of Cousins. “As agelong arsenic you person that occurrence and that volition to vie and you enactment the enactment successful beforehand, you travel retired connected the tract and it should beryllium thing that's fun.”

Cousins already spent 4 years playing for Janocko successful Minnesota, arsenic good arsenic 3 with Kubiak, and his familiarity with their violative philosophies and schemes has intelligibly fixed him a caput commencement successful Las Vegas.

That’s besides been a large payment to Mendoza, whom Cousins described arsenic amusive and energetic to enactment alongside. Kubiak praised Cousins’ “mentorship,” and each the cognition he’s already passed down to Mendoza.

Just don’t expect the seasoned to manus implicit the starting occupation arsenic easily. Training campy has hardly begun but, truthful far, Cousins has shown helium has plentifulness of quality and passionateness near to springiness to the Raiders.

“He’s the feline and he’s going to get a ton of reps,” Kubiak said of Cousins. “He deserves them due to the fact that he’s played truly bully football.”