Maxx Crosby opens up on the Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to bring in quarterback Kirk Cousins
The Las Vegas Raiders brought in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to mentor potential rookie QB Fernando Mendoza, and Maxx Crosby seems to love the signing.
The Las Vegas Raiders signed quarterback Kirk Cousins, signaling to star pass rusher Maxx Crosby that they are committed to getting things right. Cousins and Crosby have different personalities, but No. 98 is excited.
“Ran into Kirko Bangs,” Crosby said on his podcast The Rush. “It was dope, we had a great conversation, he was awesome, definitely fired me up. Dude has done a lot of great things in this league, adding him to the squad is gonna help a lot, we got more pieces coming as well.”
Maxx Crosby will finally have the QB process done the right way
Crosby has been with the Raiders for a long time, so he’s played with many different quarterbacks. Sure, he’s not on offense, so it doesn’t always affect his game. But, it’s, in a way, affected what he’s been able to accomplish in his career as a whole. He’s never won a playoff game, and with years and years of bad QB play, that’s part of his career downfalls.
Now, for the first time since he’s been a Raider, the team is going about the QB process the right way. They are going to draft rookie QB Fernando Mendoza and likely make him sit behind Cousins to learn the position. Then, when he does have to play, he is ready. Crosby will then have a franchise quarterback leading the way. Cousins is the perfect man for the job in all of this.
Let’s be real—Mendoza could earn the starting job in 2026, depending on his development. If he impresses in training camp, he could play sooner. Mendoza is highly rated because he’s good at football, and he’s a winner. Mendoza just won the National Championship, while also putting on a clinic throwing the football. No one was better in the entire country last year. If Mendoza starts, Cousins knows his role is to help develop the team’s future. If Cousins starts, he can still win games.
Currently, with Cousins as a proven veteran and Mendoza as a promising rookie, the Raiders have flexibility at quarterback. Cousins, strong even after his stint as a backup in Atlanta and 10-game starter, showed impressive advanced metrics—an 89.5% Catchable Ball Percentage (seventh-best among players with 100+ attempts) and a 78.1% On Target Percentage (sixth-best)—demonstrating his accuracy.
Crosby knows what kind of player Cousins is and what he will bring. He’s played against him in his career, and the two have a ton of respect for one another.
