Mark Davis is sounding plenty upbeat about the Raiders’ quarterback room, and he’s not hiding it.
After a training camp practice last week, the Raiders owner told Raiders.com’s Paul Gutierrez that Kirk Cousins has looked sharp and that the team’s new direction under John Spytek, Klint Kubiak and Tom Brady is already showing something worth believing in. Davis pointed first to Cousins, saying, "All I see is him finding open guys and getting the ball to them," and added, "Kirk Cousins is looking really good.
He's a pro quarterback. It's the Tom Brady effect."
Davis also described Cousins at different points as "crisp" and "deliberate," according to Gutierrez. And while the "Tom Brady effect" hasn’t translated to the standings yet - the team is 5-25 since Brady was officially approved as a minority owner - Davis appears encouraged by what he’s seeing in camp.
The optimism doesn’t stop with Cousins. Davis was already thrilled about the Raiders selecting Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he still sounds convinced that the rookie can help bring the franchise back toward relevance. He also said the team has more than just two options at the position, making clear that he sees depth in the room.
"We've got three legit quarterbacks on the roster."
That includes Aidan O’Connell, who Davis and Kubiak both view as part of the mix. In the Raiders’ setup, Cousins and Mendoza fit a mentor-mentee dynamic, while O’Connell has already shown enough to remain in the conversation.
Davis’ confidence comes at a time when he’s stepped back from the football side of the operation. He is no longer a key part of football decisions, and he has been selling minority shares of the team while also angling for Egon Durban to become another eventual principal owner.
For now, though, the football choices belong to Spytek, Kubiak and Brady. And after years of searching for the right formula since taking over in 2011, Davis seems willing to trust what’s in front of him - especially if this quarterback plan finally gives the Raiders a chance to turn things around.
In Other News...
Kirk Cousins Responded To Camp Drama With A Statement Practice
Kirk Cousins did not let a tense training camp moment linger for long. After the Raiders quarterback room was jolted by an altercation with Maxx Crosby, Cousins came back to practice and delivered one of his strongest sessions, showing the kind of steadiness the team has been looking for as the competition at quarterback continues to settle.
The timing mattered, too, because Cousins has been stacking better days than rookie Fernando Mendoza, who has had his share of ups and downs while working through the offense. Even with Mendoza still getting chances to push the battle, Cousins looked composed and in control, offering a reminder that in camp, how a quarterback responds after turbulence can matter almost as much as the drama itself. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Davis Just Sent A Clear Message About The Raiders Direction
Mark Davis has spent plenty of time watching this franchise search for stability, so it stood out when he voiced confidence in the Raiders quarterback room and the direction it is taking. The mix includes veteran Kirk Cousins, rookie Fernando Mendoza and Aidan OConnell, giving Las Vegas a blend of experience and upside at the most important position, and Davis tone suggested he believes the group is at least pointing toward something more settled than the usual churn.
The bigger signal may have come from the way head coach Klint Kubiak handled a practice altercation between Cousins and Maxx Crosby. By sitting both players out of the next practice, Kubiak sent a message about accountability before anything else, and Davis has taken that kind of structure as part of the current leaderships appeal. After years of uneven results, the Raiders owner appears ready to judge this stretch by the tone being set as much as by what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Will Read Into This Strange Maxx Crosby Incident
A routine Raiders training camp session got a little too real when Maxx Crosby struck quarterback Kirk Cousins twice on his throwing arm, turning practice into a brief confrontation and giving everyone on the sideline something to talk about. Crosby has spent the summer as one of the biggest names on the roster, and any hard edge from a player like that tends to get noticed fast, especially when it involves a quarterback in camp.
The strange part is how quickly the moment drifted beyond the field. Former NBA player Joe Johnson floated a theory that Crosbys actions were tied to a desire to land with the Cowboys, a notion that has not been confirmed and sits squarely in rumor territory. Crosby, for his part, has denied that trade speculation has changed his focus and remains with the Raiders, but once a scene like this leaks out, it is the sort of thing Cowboys fans are going to keep reading into. [Read more 🡒]