Raiders Clips
Several players will walk across the stage in Pittsburgh after hearing their name called early on in the 2026 draft later this week.
The probable No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Fernando Mendoza, will not be among them.
It became known earlier this month that Mendoza had let the NFL know he would not attend this year’s draft, instead spending Thursday night at a party at his home in South Florida. Given the nature of his family situation — Mendoza’s mother, Elsa, suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, making it difficult for her to travel — this decision was not much of a surprise. But it also allows Mendoza to spend that time on draft night with a lot more people who mean so much to him.
“Pittsburgh is a great opportunity and it’s a great venue, and I’m really excited to see most of the guys walk across the stage on Thursday night. It will be a dream for a lot of guys,” Mendoza said in an interview with the Rich Eisen Show on Monday. “However, my mom really wanted to do it at home, and so did my parents — it’s a lot easier for us, especially with the family situation. And having to hop on a plane the next morning anyway, for that travel, it’d be a lot easier to stay at home.
“I wanted to stay and make the memory with everybody who poured into my football journey — mentors, coaches, family, friends. Being able to share that moment with all of them is going to be the best memory I can make, rather than limiting it to 10-12 people in Pittsburgh, which is going to be great. And I still want to be the best league partner I can become, make sure there’s however many cameras ESPN want there — whatever they need from me, I will do. However, I think it’s very important to start off this journey with everybody who’s gotten me to this point.”
As Mendoza mentioned, there will be plenty of coverage from Florida as he — in all likelihood — puts on a Raiders hat as a member of the team for the first time. He’ll then head to Southern Nevada for an introductory press conference and the start of his professional career.
Earlier this month, free-agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was reportedly “weighing a few options.”
One of those options includes not playing for anyone.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Garoppolo is considering retirement.
Garoppolo, 34, was a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2014. Traded to the 49ers, Garoppolo became the starter immediately. He signed after his first season a contract that made him, at the time, the highest-paid player in the NFL.
After the 2022 season, Garoppolo signed with the Raiders as a free agent. He then went to the Rams for 2024 and 2025.
The Cardinals had been linked to Garoppolo in free agency. A snag during contract talks resulted in the Cardinals signing Gardner Minshew.
The Rams, who have only Matthew Stafford and Stetson Bennett on the roster, continue to be interested in Garoppolo.
For now, Garoppolo has to decide whether he’s interested in playing for what would be a 13th NFL season.
The United Football League hasn’t generated much interest from football fans, but NFL scouts are watching.
Raiders General Manager John Spytek said he and his pro personnel department make a point of scouting the UFL, Canadian Football League, NFL International Player Pathway program and any other potential source of players that other teams missed on.
“We watch football whenever it’s on. That’s one of the requirements of the job. We’ve got a great pro department,” Spytek said. “Whether it’s UFL, CFL, IPP program, if there’s football going on and there’s players we think can help us, we’re watching. And they do an awesome job with it.”
At the same time, those aren’t major sources of new talent the way the NFL draft is. Spytek’s comments came at the end of his pre-draft press conference, and he was surprised that the final question he got was on that topic.
“You want to end on a UFL question?” Spytek said. “Didn’t have that on my bingo card.”
Yes, the Raiders are only six days away from (barring a major surprise) making quarterback Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick in the draft. The team’s 2024 first-round pick is nevertheless very happy with the veteran quarterback the Raiders recently signed for the very affordable sum (as veteran quarterbacks go) of $11.3 million.
Via Sam Warren of The Athletic, tight end Brock Bowers has high praise for Kirk Cousins.
Bowers said, per Warren, that it seems like Cousins has “been there for years,” because he already seems to know everybody. Bowers also said that Cousins’s leadership, coupled with his experience in coach Klint Kubiak’s system, has brought “calm” to the effort to learn the new playbook.
“It’s definitely helpful to have that presence,” Bowers said.
It’s definitely helpful for the Raiders to have done something that makes the most important player (pre-Mendoza) on their offense happy. Though Bowers has only been on the team for two years, he has to be wondering whether the Raiders will be competitive during his career. The addition of Cousins is something that gives Bowers hope for a turnaround.
Cousins also will set the right example for Mendoza, as he learns the NFL ropes. And that’s the kind of thing that could help restore a level of performance the Raiders have been lacking for most of the past 24 years.
The NFL has announced the names of the current and former players that will take part in next week’s draft by announcing second-round picks.
The list includes players associated with all 32 teams, including Cardinals running back James Conner. Conner has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area after playing for the Steelers and attending Pitt, which likely made him an easy choice as the Cardinals’ representative.
Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert, former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, former Chiefs defensive lineman Bill Maas, current Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill, former Jets running back Curtis Martin, and former 49ers punter Andy Lee are other Pitt alums who are set to take part.
The hometown team will be represented by four players. Former Steelers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will be joined by Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. next Friday.
The other players taking part and their team affiliations appear below:
Falcons: Michael Turner
Ravens: Mark Ingram
Bills: Shane Conlan
Panthers: Jake Delhomme
Bengals: Ken Anderson
Browns: Phil Dawson
Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Broncos: T.J. Ward
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Packers: John Kuhn
Texans: Billy Miller
Colts: Pat McAfee
Jaguars: Paul Posluszny
Raiders: Matt Millen
Chargers: Shawne Merriman
Rams: Tavon Austin
Dolphins: Dwight Stephenson
Patriots: Deion Branch
Saints: Marques Colston
Giants: Osi Umenyiora
Eagles: Brian Westbrook
Seahawks: Cliff Avril
Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
Titans: Jeffery Simmons
Commanders: Mark Rypien
Indiana running back Kaelon Black has had a busy pre-draft itinerary.
He had ktop-30 visits that included the Jets, Broncos, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Dolphins, Packers, Vikings, Patriots, Raiders and Bengals.
The last one was not easy.
After spending Tuesday in Las Vegas with the Raiders, Black flew to Chicago, where his connecting flight to Cincinnati was canceled. So, Black spent Tuesday night at O’Hare, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.
The Bengals sent an Uber to pick up Black on Wednesday morning to drive him the 316 miles to Cincinnati.
There is no word on how much the Uber ride cost, or how much the Bengals tipped the driver.
Black played under head coach Curt Cignetti at James Madison for two years before transferring to follow Cignetti to Indiana in 2024.
He rushed for 251 yards for Indiana in 2024 before becoming one of the Hoosiers’ two 1,000-yard backs in 2025, finishing the season with 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 36 yards.
University of Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks had a pre-draft visit with the Raiders on Wednesday, according to his Instagram.
Banks projects as a second-day pick.
He played two seasons at Louisville before transferring to UF, where he totaled 46 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 5.5 sacks in three seasons.
Banks played only three games in 2025 because of a left foot injury. He fractured the fourth metatarsal in the same foot the night before on-field testing at the Scouting Combine. Banks underwent foot surgery last month and is expected to return in June.
San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson was also in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Jordan Reid of ESPN reports.
Johnson previously had pre-draft visits with the Jets and Steelers.
He could hear his name in the first round after earning All-America and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors last season. Johnson totaled 13 passes defensed, four interceptions and allowed no touchdowns in 2025.
The initial reporting regarding the new Kirk Cousins contract with the Raiders was confusing, to say the least. Clarity has finally arrived.
It was described as a clear-as-mud “five-year, $172 million deal . . . that in reality is a one-year, fully-guaranteed $20 million deal that also contains a club option for two years at $80M.”
Here’s the full breakdown, per a source with knowledge of the terms:
1. 2026 base salary: $1.3 million, fully guaranteed.
2. 2027 offseason roster bonus: $10 million, fully guaranteed and not subject to offset.
3. 2027 base salary: $1.345 million, not guaranteed at signing but fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2027 league year.
4. 2028 base salary: $78.655 million, not guaranteed at signing but fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2027 league year.
5. 2029 base salary: $40 million.
6. 2030 base salary: $40 million.
The contract, if terminated before the fifth day of the 2027 league year, pays $11.3 million fully guaranteed for one season. The $1.3 million salary for 2026 leaves the Falcons on the hook for $8.7 million, since Cousins had a $10 million fully guaranteed roster bonus with offset for 2026.
The end result for Cousins will be $20 million for 2026, with the Raiders paying $11.3 million of it. Next year, if he’s cut, he’ll keep everything he gets from another team.
If the Raiders, for whatever reason, decide to keep Cousins beyond the 2026 season, he’ll make $91.3 million from the Raiders for three seasons, plus the $8.7 million from the Falcons. That equates to $100 million over three years.
It’s unlikely the Raiders will retain Cousins beyond 2026. If, for some reason, they decide to do so, the three-year investment isn’t ridiculous. It works out to an average of $30.43 million per year.
The Raiders signed Kirk Cousins to be a veteran leader at quarterback, someone who can help establish how the team would like its offense to work under new head coach Klint Kubiak.
While Las Vegas is highly likely to select Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall next week, the team would like to make sure Mendoza is ready before he ascends into the starting lineup.
Asked about what Cousins brings to the team on Tuesday, General Manager John Spytek noted that the club can’t have enough good players in the QBs room.
“Well, he’s played really good football in this league for a long time, and he went through, obviously, a challenging time early in his career, ends up in the same draft class as the second overall pick, and somehow he comes out of that on top,” Spytek said, via transcript from the team. “He’s been able to do what he’s done at different stops along the way. There’s a high level of maturity there.
“There’s an understanding of Klint’s offense that I think will help Aidan [O’Connell] and any other quarterbacks that join the group. He’s won, he’s hard working, he’s detailed, he’s smart, he’s been a great teammate places he’s been. … Just anytime you have a veteran quarterback in a room that’s played at a high level that you believe can still play well and play at a high level, I think that helps everybody — especially the coaching staff will sleep a little better at night.”
Cousins has said that he feels like Mendoza will be “a great addition to the room” and is willing to support the young QB to the degree that he can.
Last season, Cousins appeared in 10 games with eight starts for the Falcons, completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The Raiders will not anoint Fernando Mendoza as their starting quarterback immediately after drafting him next week. And they may not make him their starting quarterback in September, either.
Raiders General Manager John Spytek said Mendoza and Kirk Cousins — and even Aidan O’Connell — will all have an opportunity to show they deserve the starting job before a Week One starter is named.
“Ultimately, this is a meritocracy, and the best guy will play,” Spytek said. “It’s just really hard to play really well at a young age, but we’ve seen plenty of quarterbacks do it recently. And how that goes going forward here, we added Kirk, we have Aidan, and we’ll see how it goes. But the best man will play.”
The Raiders haven’t officially confirmed they’ll draft Mendoza with the first overall pick, but Spytek wasn’t exactly hiding it as he talked about wanting rookies to play when they’re ready to play.
“We all want to see the young guys play, we want to see them play well, but we don’t want to put anybody out there, regardless of the position, who’s not ready,” Spytek said.
The last six quarterbacks picked first overall have started Week One of their rookie years. Not since Baker Mayfield in 2018 has a first overall pick started his career on the bench.
But Spytek said it’s tough for quarterbacks to make the transition from college to the NFL and the Raiders wouldn’t want to rush a young quarterback onto the field.
“It’s a hard position to play, and there’s a lot to learn beyond throwing the football and being a good teammate,” Spytek said. “A lot of these guys, they live their entire life in shotgun. They don’t huddle. So yu really got to teach some of these guys how to run a huddle, how to break a huddle, how to get under center and call a cadence because you see so many of them clap now, too. It’s far beyond learning a playbook, which in and of itself is hard enough. When you can be patient — and we all understand there’s not a ton of patience in the job that we chose here — but if you can find some level of patience and put people in positions when they’re ready, that’s the best way forward.”
If Mendoza is ready, he’ll start when the regular season opens in five months. If not, that’s why they signed Cousins.
