General manager John Spytek flashed a reflective smile and spoke with optimism on Tuesday, explaining the Raiders’ motives hours after starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was traded to the Minnesota Vikings.
Seated to the GM’s immediate left, with the silver brim of his cap shading his eyes from view, was Raiders coach Klint Kubiak. It was hard to tell whether he blinked through a blank stare, but it was nearly certain he didn’t smile after subtracting Cousins from the roster and accelerating the arrival of rookie No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza as an NFL starter.
Kubiak and Cousins worked together prior to this season. Kubiak was the Vikings’ quarterbacks coach in 2019-2020 and offensive coordinator in 2021, while Cousins was in his first stint with the team (2018-2023).
Spytek insisted the Raiders (4-5) are not “punting on this season or looking forward to 2027.”
Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and national title at Indiana as a junior, was selected with the top pick in April with a plan to let him get comfortable behind Cousins.
Mendoza has appeared in one game this season, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards against New England in Week 5. Cousins has 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 97.1 passer rating.
“We have a lot of belief in this team, and the guy that’s going to be playing quarterback now too,” Spytek said.
The Raiders “never made one call on Kirk Cousins” and discussed the option of trading him to the Vikings with the 38-year-old before making the deal that sent him back to Minnesota, where he played six seasons and went to three Pro Bowls. But netting a third-round pick and sensing Mendoza can handle the role, Spytek moved forward.
“He passed every test. I want to stop short of saying he’s earned it but he put us in a position where we had to make a really hard decision today with his growth as a teammate, as a leader, as a quarterback,” Spytek said.
Kubiak has worked with Cousins before; they’re close in age and will remain close, making the trade challenging for the first-year coach.
“I have a special relationship with him, working with him for four years now, couldn’t have picked a better guy to kick us off. He earned the right to be in this conversation with his production. That put him in this position. We’re going to miss Kirk. I just love coming to work with him every day.”