Years in the past, Las Vegas Raiders minority proprietor Tom Brady made it recognized he’s in favor of a quarterback spending not less than a portion of his rookie season serving as a backup.
That is noteworthy as a result of Brady reportedly has fairly a little bit of affect relating to among the group’s personnel choices and since the Raiders at present have veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins serving as a mentor for 2026 No. 1 total draft decide Fernando Mendoza.
Like Brady, retired participant Greg Olsen serves as a shade commentator for Fox NFL broadcasts. Throughout a latest look on NFL Community’s “Good Morning Soccer” program, Olsen addressed the Raiders’ quarterback state of affairs.
Greg Olsen on rookie quarterbacks: Let the children play
“I’ve all the time been of the college of considered you allow them to play,” Olsen mentioned about rookie quarterbacks, as shared by Ethan Woodie of Heavy. “You get them out as quickly as you may as a result of there may be nothing like real-time NFL reps. There will likely be interceptions, there’s gonna be dangerous performs, however these real-time reps, I believe, speeds the event clock up. In the event you don’t really feel like your group is able to assist a younger quarterback, and also you assume it’s gonna be truly counter-productive to their improvement — you’re not gonna be capable to defend them, you’re not gonna be capable to get the run recreation to enhance — then I’d most likely take a step again.”
For what it’s value, first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has hinted on quite a few events this spring that he won’t name Mendoza his Week 1 beginning quarterback. Most not too long ago, Kubiak mentioned that the Raiders are “relying on [Cousins] come the season.”
Such a remark may lead one to consider that Cousins stays on observe to begin Las Vegas’ Week 1 residence recreation versus the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13.
Greg Olsen shares a warning for Raiders about Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza choice
“What you don’t need,” Olsen continued in the course of the phase, “as a lot as you need to push ahead the event, I additionally assume it’s a must to be very cautious this present day. You don’t need to pull again. You don’t need to stunt any of that early development, and now it’s a must to overcome a few of these scars as time goes on. In order that’s what the entrance workplace, that’s what the teaching employees has to guage. ‘How’s our roster? How will we really feel concerning the guys round him?’ And I believe that goes into it each bit as a lot as, ‘Is Fernando Mendoza able to play as a rookie?’ I believe there’s much more to it than that.”
The truth that Kubiak has not but publicly named Cousins Las Vegas’ Week 1 QB1 means that the 2 signal-callers might spend a portion of the summer season competing for the beginning job when training-camp practices get underway in late July. Nevertheless, it stays to be seen if such a battle will actually find yourself being a contest in identify solely.
The Raiders open their preseason with a matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 13.
