Kirk Cousins Is The Starter, The Number One Pick Sits, And The League Is Watching How Vegas Handles It

Alright, so while we're out here in the Emerald City bleeding green and blue, keeping our eyes glued to every play from Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, there's some wild quarterback drama unfolding over in Vegas that you absolutely gotta hear about. The Raiders, fresh off drafting Fernando Mendoza as their No. 1 overall pick, are apparently still rolling with Kirk Cousins as their guy under center. Seriously, what are they thinking?

The Quarterback Conundrum In Sin City

Look, I get it, NFL teams want to be careful with their shiny new toys, but this whole Kirk Cousins situation in Las Vegas is... something else. Reports from ESPN's Ryan McFadden are saying Cousins was out there as the first quarterback on the field at OTA practice this week. He's followed by Aidan O'Connell, and then, *finally*, their top pick Fernando Mendoza. Coach Klint Kubiak is all hush-hush on a timeline for naming a starter, but McFadden is pretty clear: Cousins is the favorite right now. Why? "Ample NFL experience" and "familiarity with Kubiak's offense." Yeah, yeah, we've heard that before. Meanwhile, Kubiak himself called Mendoza "as advertised," which, if you ask me, means he's probably lighting it up in practice. The word is Mendoza *does* have time to change the narrative before Week 1, and there's "little doubt" he'll rise to the top eventually. But "eventually" doesn't win games *now*, does it? It feels like a classic case of overthinking when you have a talent like a No. 1 pick sitting there.

NFL Moves & NBA Mayhem

Elsewhere in the league, a couple of guys found new homes, though not here in our beloved 12s territory. The Chicago Bears are busy signing up defensive back Anthony Johnson. He was a seventh-round pick back in '23, played 21 regular-season games, logged 29 tackles, four pass breakups, and even an interception. He's battling for a reserve spot, which is always tough. And another name, Salvon Ahmed, is also heading to Chicago. This dude's making a comeback after a nasty ankle injury from a hip-drop tackle that sidelined him for all of the 2025 season. He's got 593 career rushing yards and five touchdowns on 163 carries in 38 games, plus he can play special teams. Good for him, fighting back after that kind of injury! But if you thought the NFL off-season drama was intense, holy smokes, turn your attention to the NBA Western Conference Finals! Stephon Castle over on the Spurs went off for 25 points in their Game 2 loss to the Thunder. He was aggressive, throwing down highlight-reel jams, mostly scoring in the paint. But let's be real, his stat line also showed 1-for-6 from deep, a game-high NINE turnovers, and he was a minus-11 in a nine-point loss. NINE turnovers in a conference final game? That's rough, man. He's gotta clean that up if the Spurs want any shot when the series heads back to San Antonio for Game 3. Taking care of the rock is non-negotiable at that level.

What's Next For These League Shakers?

For Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza, the clock is ticking down to Week 1. Every practice, every rep, every decision from Kubiak will be under a microscope. Can Mendoza push his way past the veteran, or will he indeed have to wait his turn? It's a storyline that'll dominate the NFL headlines for weeks to come, shaping the Raiders' season. As for Castle and the Spurs, it's straight into Game 3, where ball security is absolutely critical. He showed flashes of brilliance, but those turnovers? They'll kill you in the postseason. You gotta wonder if he can bounce back from that kind of performance. We'll be watching!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.