Kirk Cousins returned to the Las Vegas Raiders’ first-team offense on Monday, according to multiple reports. His comeback follows a training camp scuffle with Maxx Crosby on Friday that had both players held out of practice the following day. That return resets the quarterback pecking order just as rookie corner Jermod McCoy keeps making a case for early snaps on defense.
What Actually Happened Friday Between Cousins And Crosby
Crosby tipped a Cousins pass during a team period, hitting the quarterback’s throwing arm twice in the process. After the second hit, Cousins had enough. He charged the 6-foot-5, 256-pound Crosby, who has three inches and 42 pounds on him, grabbing his jersey before teammates quickly separated the two.
A separate fight broke out the same day between guard Caleb Rogers and defensive lineman Jonah Laulu, though that one didn’t result in any discipline. Head coach Klint Kubiak called the Cousins-Crosby scuffle part of camp culture, saying, “Those are two leaders of our team going at it, so that is part of camp.” Tight end Michael Mayer struck a similar note, saying the team doesn’t want punches thrown but wants Cousins to keep the edge that’s defined him since he arrived.
As discipline, both players were held out of Saturday’s practice, opening the door for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza to run the first-team offense. Mendoza’s day was a mixed bag, with a few off-target throws and some issues handling snaps as he faced the starting defense for the first time.
Fernando Mendoza Flashes Upside In The Red Zone
Mendoza still flashed real upside in the red zone. He threw touchdowns to Tre Tucker, Brock Bowers, and Michael Mayer, showing the kind of tape that keeps a succession plan alive even while the veteran holds the job. Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan praised his growth since the spring, noting he isn’t repeating mistakes as the offense adds new layers.
Cousins Still Owns The Depth Chart
Cousins running back with the ones Monday signals the incident didn’t cost him his standing. For a Raiders offense trying to stabilize after a rough 2025, that continuity matters more than a single practice rep count. Fans tracking the broader picture can find more on Las Vegas’s 2026 outlook and quarterback situation for context on how this room fits the team’s turnaround hopes.
It’s a dynamic worth stacking against other camps handling similar quarterback questions. The Vikings’ own first-team quarterback battle is running a parallel experiment, just with less external drama attached to it.
Rookie Cornerback Jermod McCoy Turning Heads
Jermod McCoy, the Raiders’ fourth-round pick out of Tennessee, is the other name rising fast in Henderson. He missed the entire 2025 college season with an ACL tear, a factor that pushed him to pick No. 101 despite a résumé that once had scouts talking top-10, according to ClutchPoints.
Silver & Black Sports Network’s Jesse Merrick said on the JT the Brick Show that McCoy’s movement gives no hint of the injury history.
“Anybody that’s been around athletes knows this, and all these guys that play are athletes, but you can just tell how springy guys are and the way they walk. And you watch [McCoy] and you’re just like, ‘Yeah, I can tell he’s a freak of nature athlete.'”
Merrick added that without prior knowledge, nobody would notice the knee issue watching McCoy on the field. That’s a strong early sign for a defense that badly needs cheap contributors after finishing with the league’s worst record.
Why This Camp Storyline Matters
This isn’t a simple quarterback controversy. It’s a franchise running two developmental bets at once, grooming Mendoza behind Cousins while banking on McCoy’s medical file holding up under starter-level usage. Both storylines carry real betting and fantasy relevance heading into preseason, especially for teams evaluating Raiders depth against shakier quarterback rooms like the one detailed in this breakdown of the Jets’ post-transition roster concerns.
What To Watch Next With Cousins And Mendoza
The next marker is how Raiders coaches split first-team preseason snaps between Cousins and Mendoza once padded practices ramp up. On defense, expect McCoy’s workload to climb incrementally through joint practices, the clearest test yet of whether his knee can handle a starter’s rep count.
