Cousins signs with Raiders

[chucker]

I don't love this. I get it, but I don't love it.

[Viper]

I believe that when FM does start, it will have more to do with when management feels he is ready to do so, and not so much on Cousins performance.

If Cousins is putting wins in the column for a franchise that has seen very little success, it’ll be tough to pull him.

In a scenario where decision makers don’t believe Mendoza is ready, they leave Cousins in regardless to take the lumps. I just don’t see Mendoza not being ready and the only way to find out is to play him. No matter how hard you practice and try to simulate game situations, it’s just not the same as real game time.

[chucker]

My expectation is that they'll feel like Mendoza could be the week 1 starter, because I think he'll be ready. My expectation is that Cousins will start week 1 regardless (unless Cousins is just awful in camp and preseason). Cousins' leash won't be much longer than the Raiders' winning streak though. Losing 2 in a row at any point is going to be hard to ignore. Unless we have ahold of the division lead, the priority for this season has to quickly turn to having Mendoza ready for 2027 and that's going to take actual play in actual games.

I don't think it's unreasonable for Cousins to start 3-6 games and let Mendoza learn behind him and let the Oline gel. It didn't hurt Drake Maye one bit although Pats fans probably weren't any happier about the delayed start than Raiders fans are.

[raidersince63]

If Cousins is putting wins in the column for a franchise that has seen very little success, it’ll be tough to pull him.

In a scenario where decision makers don’t believe Mendoza is ready, they leave Cousins in regardless to take the lumps. I just don’t see Mendoza not being ready and the only way to find out is to play him. No matter how hard you practice and try to simulate game situations, it’s just not the same as real game time.

My expectation is that they'll feel like Mendoza could be the week 1 starter, because I think he'll be ready. My expectation is that Cousins will start week 1 regardless (unless Cousins is just awful in camp and preseason). Cousins' leash won't be much longer than the Raiders' winning streak though. Losing 2 in a row at any point is going to be hard to ignore. Unless we have ahold of the division lead, the priority for this season has to quickly turn to having Mendoza ready for 2027 and that's going to take actual play in actual games.

I don't think it's unreasonable for Cousins to start 3-6 games and let Mendoza learn behind him and let the Oline gel. It didn't hurt Drake Maye one bit although Pats fans probably weren't any happier about the delayed start than Raiders fans are.

That's where I'm at. For me, it's more about the team than it is about the player or their jersey number.

I'm guessing that's a big reason why the Raiders don't do the retiring #s thing.

[Hellbound]

My expectation is that they'll feel like Mendoza could be the week 1 starter, because I think he'll be ready. My expectation is that Cousins will start week 1 regardless (unless Cousins is just awful in camp and preseason). Cousins' leash won't be much longer than the Raiders' winning streak though. Losing 2 in a row at any point is going to be hard to ignore. Unless we have ahold of the division lead, the priority for this season has to quickly turn to having Mendoza ready for 2027 and that's going to take actual play in actual games.

I don't think it's unreasonable for Cousins to start 3-6 games and let Mendoza learn behind him and let the Oline gel. It didn't hurt Drake Maye one bit although Pats fans probably weren't any happier about the delayed start than Raiders fans are.

3-6 games is pretty much the range Im expecting Kirk to start. Unless he absolutely falls on his face in preseason or is injured, he's going to start. Brady, Spytek and Kubiak have been adamant about a vet starting. I don't see them veering from that now. Even if it's a close competition, I see them starting Kirk. My opinion is he's the place holder until the oline/offense gels, then it Mendoza's team from there

[raidersince63]

If Cousins is putting wins in the column for a franchise that has seen very little success, it’ll be tough to pull him.

In a scenario where decision makers don’t believe Mendoza is ready, they leave Cousins in regardless to take the lumps. I just don’t see Mendoza not being ready and the only way to find out is to play him. No matter how hard you practice and try to simulate game situations, it’s just not the same as real game time.

Precisely !...all the "projections" cannot factor in the number of real regular season NFL snaps before actually taking them. If Mendo starts day 1 it will be because the brass is highly confident that he's ready. Though I'll be elated whenever he does start but I believe the smarter move is for for Cousins to begin the season under center.

And it would also be nice to see the Raiders actually win some of the type of games that we lost last year. And I'd venture to say that if somehow started say 4 and 3, that would be a very good sign that we're turning the page on being a laughing stock.

[mstrbass2000]

[DanKD]

If we are 6-0 or 5-1 I'll be fine seeing cousins continue to start. Heck if we make the playoffs and mendoza doesn't play a snap id be happy. Mahomes took over a playoff team year 2.

Now I don't expect that'll happen. We probably still won't be very good with cousins and mendoza will take over before long.

[Trainnvain]

Mendoza already warring that Raiders gear.

[raidersince63]

If we are 6-0 or 5-1 I'll be fine seeing cousins continue to start. Heck if we make the playoffs and mendoza doesn't play a snap id be happy. Mahomes took over a playoff team year 2.

Now I don't expect that'll happen. We probably still won't be very good with cousins and mendoza will take over before long.

Yeah, I think it will really come down to whether we have fixed or at least noticeably improved the OL by then or not. If our guys up front can provide holes well enough for Jeanty to run through without getting hammered, that will in turn, obviously make the passing game so much easier to execute.

[Attyla]

Mendoza already warring that Raiders gear.

It looks photoshopped. Why would Mendoza be walking around without anyone with him for his visit. Look at the floor at his feet, no shadow. And his expression does not match up with what you would expect during the visit.

[Trainnvain]

It looks photoshopped. Why would Mendoza be walking around without anyone with him for his visit. Look at the floor at his feet, no shadow. And his expression does not match up with what you would expect during the visit.

He’s not walking alone, someone had to take the pic.
There is a shadow right under the toe of his his raised left foot. You can see by the other shadows that the sun is behind him causing his shadow to be cast in front of him and outside the camera frame.
His expression matches his personality- smiling and positive. why would it be different during his visit?
The photo may be staged- something like, “hey Fernando, throw on this jacket and walk down the hall while we get a photo”- but I doubt it’s photoshopped.
What’s more likely, that they took the opportunity to have a little photo shoot or they fabricated it even though he was in the building?

[Attyla]

He’s not walking alone, someone had to take the pic.
There is a shadow right under the toe of his his raised left foot. You can see by the other shadows that the sun is behind him causing his shadow to be cast in front of him and outside the camera frame.
His expression matches his personality- smiling and positive. why would it be different during his visit?
The photo may be staged- something like, “hey Fernando, throw on this jacket and walk down the hall while we get a photo”- but I doubt it’s photoshopped.
What’s more likely, that they took the opportunity to have a little photo shoot or they fabricated it even though he was in the building?

maybe or maybe that part of the shadow is also part of the photoshop. It just looks really mocked up to me, and photoshop would be my best explanation because that shadow under his foot is the only part of the floor that is affected. And with lights directly overhead it just does not look right. I would love to see a picture of his visit on the site to verify what he was wearing that day.

[Attyla]

here is more evidence that it might be photoshop


Same jacket, but the emblem is different

[raidersince63]

He’s not walking alone, someone had to take the pic.
There is a shadow right under the toe of his his raised left foot. You can see by the other shadows that the sun is behind him causing his shadow to be cast in front of him and outside the camera frame.
His expression matches his personality- smiling and positive. why would it be different during his visit?
The photo may be staged- something like, “hey Fernando, throw on this jacket and walk down the hall while we get a photo”- but I doubt it’s photoshopped.
What’s more likely, that they took the opportunity to have a little photo shoot or they fabricated it even though he was in the building?

There's also not much of a shadow under him because that shadow under his foot is from the overhead lights directly above him, plus the outside light through the windows is not direct sunlight but instead indirect which is evident from the shadows of the roof line, putting the sun on the other side of the building.
Also, every picture I've seen of him makes him look "geeky', because well, he is. And I feel confident that he's already acquired quite a lot of Raiders gear.

[Xramfan]

From Grok:
No, the specific picture in that X post is not real—it’s AI-generated.
The post from @vegasraiderdad (a Raiders fan nonprofit account) shows a split/composite-style image:
• Left: Fernando Mendoza walking into the Raiders Training Facility hallway (smiling, in a black Raiders jacket).
• Right: Kirk Cousins at a desk in a Raiders hoodie and cap, writing in what looks like a “Raiders 2026 Season Playbook” notebook, surrounded by tablets.
The caption (“Fernando Mendoza showing up to the Raiders facility for the first time. Kirk Cousins just so happened to be reviewing the Raiders playbook. ‘C’mon in.’”) is clearly a humorous meme setup. Multiple replies in the thread immediately called it out as AI (e.g., “Why the f[raiders_icon]ck would you Ai this”, “Terrible Ai lol”, “This Ai”).
Why it’s fake
• No credible outlets (NFL.com, Raiders Wire, Ian Rapoport, Adam Schefter, team Instagram, etc.) have ever posted or referenced this exact image. Real coverage of Mendoza’s Top 30 visit (April 7–8, 2026) includes different photos from the facility, often credited to photographers like Jacob Musselman/Imagn Images.
• The visit itself was real: Mendoza did tour Raiders HQ in Henderson, NV, met with coaches/ownership (including Tom Brady reportedly being on-site), and had a film session with Kirk Cousins. Cousins even spoke publicly about it on GMFB, calling Mendoza a high-caliber person and expressing excitement about potentially working with him.
• This image is a fan-made AI meme blending real events into a fun “what if” visual. It’s very well-done and realistic-looking (common with current AI tools), which is why it spread quickly among fans—but it’s fabricated.
Plenty of authentic photos and videos from the visit exist (e.g., group shots with staff, film room scenes), and the hype around Mendoza as the projected #1 pick to the Raiders is legit. This one just isn’t one of them.