Yahoo Sports NFL on Kirk Cousins
From the article
His job was to give the Raiders a veteran quarterback they could win with while Mendoza learned Klint Kubiak's offense; Cousins held up his end. The Raiders won their first three games with him under center; What Mendoza needs now is the experience of throwing a costly interception himself, walking back to the sideline and figuring out how to go score on the next drive. Cousins could only take him so far with that part of the job.
STACKED’s take
Cousins served his role as veteran bridge; Raiders moved on after Mendoza showed readiness.
Cousins arrived in Las Vegas as a veteran stopgap quarterback to help the Raiders win while Mendoza learned the offense, with an understood expiration date on the arrangement. The source reports Cousins held up his end: the Raiders won their first three games with him under center and took the Chiefs and Bills down to the wire, reaching 4-5 and giving a reasonable argument for sticking with a veteran who still offered a chance to play meaningful December games. However, Mendoza's strong practice performance and readiness convinced the Raiders to make the move; Cousins gave Mendoza nine games to observe veteran preparation and adversity management, but the rookie now needs the experience of throwing costly interceptions and recovering emotionally—something Cousins could only take him so far with. The Raiders traded Cousins to the Vikings at the trade deadline.
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