32BeatWriters on Kirk Cousins

Fernando Mendoza is mimicking Kirk Cousins’ every move—calling plays, breaking fake huddles and detailing his progression from the sidelines as Cousins does it for real. Mendoza told me he even had to stop himself from mimicking Cousins’ footwork and throws in his first game: he couldn’t tip off the opponent. “I was so locked in.” My exclusive for @​TheAthletic on how Mendoza is handling the Raiders QB2 job. <https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7605992/2026/09/18/fernando-mendoza-las-vegas-raide...