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HENDERSON, NEVADA - JUNE 03: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders practices during an OTA offseason workout at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on June 03, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is no stranger to the sidelines. The son of longtime coach Gary Kubiak, he understood the environment around a team. Furthermore, he is well familiar with narratives, both real and constructed. For example, when the team drafts a first-round quarterback, they will have a veteran on staff to act as a teacher for the future of the franchise. In the spring, the Raiders drafted Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick of the draft. Then, they signed veteran Kirk Cousins, who enters his 15th NFL season.

GettyHENDERSON, NEVADA – MAY 20: Head coach Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders attends a news conference after an OTA offseason workout at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on May 20, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The head coach made it clear that he isn’t running a Big Brother program, stating:

“I never ask anybody to be a mentor,” Kubiak said. “If you’re on the roster, it’s to play and play really well for the team. That’s the quarterback’s job; all three of them are to get ready to play and win games at a high level. When everybody’s doing that, they’re pushing each other; it creates competition, and the whole roster gets better. All I want from our quarterbacks is to be competitive and to all prepare like they’re starters.”

The common thought around the league is for a veteran to act like a teacher of sorts. However, that remains the thought that the media is not truly the players’.

Cousins Ends Narrative

Cousins entered the league as the 102nd pick of the 2012 draft, basically an afterthought. Washington drafted him as insurance for Robert Griffin III, whose career he quickly eclipsed. Cousins climbed the metaphorical ladder. With 44,700 yards and 298 touchdowns while completing 66.7% of his throws, he fully intends not to be anyone’s Mr. Miyagi.

“I think to say I’m mentoring them is a bit of a reach, probably more of a narrative than it is the truth, in the sense that they’re pretty good players and pretty experienced, and I’m learning a lot from them too and asking questions of them. And so, it’s always been a working force together in the quarterback room, and that’s what it is. Nobody’s leading more than someone else.”

GettyHENDERSON, NEVADA – JUNE 09: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders practices drills during mandatory minicamp at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Health Performance Center on June 09, 2026 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Louis Grasse/Getty Images)

Instead of deferring to Mendoza, Cousins chose to teach by competing. Granted, if Mendoza or Aidan O’Connell asks a question, he will answer, but holding the clipboard isn’t why he’s in Las Vegas. The best part is that everyone knows it. Those inside NFL locker rooms understand the competitive nature.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Raiders QB Kirk Cousins was open and honest about his mentorship of Fernando Mendoza. And that’s just fine. pic.twitter.com/5P9CFPkhFW

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 12, 2026

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For example, in 2005, the Green Bay Packers drafted California quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first round. Meanwhile, they still employed Brett Favre as their starter. It took Rodgers a couple of years to get to the starting spot. In that time, to Rodgers’ and Favre’s own admission, the veteran did not mentor the rookie.

Yet, Rodgers seemed to learn enough to embark on a Hall of Fame journey, complete with MVPs, Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl. The Raiders want that same environment that fostered over a quarter-century of elite quarterback play. Ten years from now, Mendoza will be the veteran, and the team will eventually draft his replacement. With every year, the NFL gets younger. For now, the rookie will need to learn by observation.