Kirk Cousins has had enough of the extra heat in preseason practices, and he made that clear after taking hits from Maxx Crosby, the rest of the Raiders defense, and the Texans.
With Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season approaching, teams are sharpening their schemes and ramping up execution. Cousins understands the point of that work. What he pushed back on was the line between competitive and careless when it comes to a quarterback in a red jersey.
“My elbow got hit. I joke with Maxx, and I say, ‘You can touch me anywhere you want, just don’t touch my arm.’
You want to bump me in the ribs? Fine.
I think if anything, hitting me in the hips or the ribs is actually good because it simulates what I need to feel. I’ve got some scars from some hits in real games where helmets go into armpits and things, and it ruins your season.
So, I was just asking Crosby to just stay off the arm, and I had to remind the Texans as well,” the Raiders quarterback declared.
Cousins also said, “I might as well just take the red jersey off because you’re playing with, sometimes, an understood rule that if it’s not understood, then what are we doing?”
The veteran quarterback has reason to be protective. He dealt with a shoulder injury during the 2024 NFL season, and his last two years with the Atlanta Falcons were rough on him physically. He was sacked 41 times over that stretch, and in 2024 he also led the league with 16 interceptions.
The tension spilled over enough that Cousins and Crosby were benched from team drills a few weeks ago. Cousins still believes there should be an understood boundary in joint practices and preseason work, especially when the games do not count yet.
For Cousins, it’s about getting through the preseason without paying for it later.
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