Former Las Vegas Raiders QB Kirk Cousins shared a powerful message during his Vikings press conference that the Nation will want to hear
The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t have Kirk Cousins for long, but both sides clearly share a ton of respect for one another.
The Las Vegas Raiders moved on from quarterback Kirk Cousins. They traded him to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round pick. That means Fernando Mendoza is now the starter, as the team has announced. But don’t forget about what Cousins has done for this team and franchise. He certainly won’t.
“I want to say thank you to the Raiders for the opportunity they gave me this past offseason,” Cousins said at his Vikings introductory press conference on Wednesday. “The chance they gave me to play and the way they handled Minnesota over the last 24 hours. So grateful for them and the people there, and certainly, it was tough to leave a building where you’ve spent some time with the guys and built some rapport.”
Kirk Cousins will end up being a guy Raiders fans thank in 10 years
Cousins is one of the most stand-up guys you will see in this business. He’s a good dude, a good quarterback, and a great leader. Sure, Klint Kubiak may have the biggest hand in turning this team around and creating a great culture. But someone has to go out there and lead men to follow that culture. That’s part of the QB’s job, too. And Cousins did that.
He not only did all of that, but he also mentored Mendoza. He taught Mendoza how to be a pro and a starting quarterback. Cousins has also put this team in a good position to succeed moving forward. Vegas is 4-5 after having just three wins last season.
You can attribute some of those wins to Cousins. He played extremely well despite a poor run game, an inconsistent offensive line, and no real WR1. Before last Sunday, Cousins was playing like a top-10 QB. But now, it’s Mendoza’s turn.
The rookie QB and No. 1 overall pick is set to make his first start against the Seattle Seahawks. It won’t be easy, but there’s a big reason this is the time to finally go with Mendoza: Cousins.
