Kirk Cousins facing Tom Brady’s wrath over Fernando Mendoza comments before Raiders draft

The cat is out of the bag.

Kirk Cousins confirmed the worst-kept secret in sports as he revealed live on air that he was looking forward to linking up with Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas.

Getty

The Raiders own the first overall pick in this month’s NFL Draft and it has been known for some time that Mendoza is the man, especially after minority owner Tom Brady gushed about him.

But Cousins — brought in as a veteran bridge by head coach Klint Kubiak — was the first to say it out loud during an appearance on Good Morning Football.

“Honestly, I don’t want to start unless I’m the best option,” he said. “I told Klint the best players should play.

“As long as that’s the case, I have no qualms with however it plays out. I do think Fernando is going to be a great addition to our team.

“He’s going to have a great future in the league. I have no problem being a voice in the room to help him to the degree that I can. He’s going to have great support all around him from the coaching staff.

“Being able to watch a veteran quarterback go through his habits, routines, and process can be a great asset for him.”

How much has Kirk Cousins earned in the NFL?

Brady and Co were probably hoping for commissioner Roger Goodell to be the man to announce the pick and may have a quiet word in Cousins’ ear.

The experienced passer has just jumped ahead of Brady to third in the list of all-time highest-earning quarterbacks with $341 million.

He will scoop $20 million for his year as a mentor with the Raiders, but it is not money that motivates him to put the work in every day at 37 after being relegated to a backup role with the Atlanta Falcons.

”Any time you have unmet expectations, life can be kind of hard,” he added on GMFB. “So, I was just doing the best I could as the backup there, and just trying to stay positive and keep my head up and keep going every day.

Getty

Getty

“But just felt like after playing the last seven games of the year, that just, kind of, football was fun. Loved to compete. Loved to be in the fire. Loved being with the guys again, and just was reminded going into the offseason, that, no, I’d like to still do this.

“I don’t know if the opportunity’ll be there or not, but if it is, I would like to still get out there and compete again.”

The expectation is that Mendoza will be the future in Las Vegas.

Raiders fans will be glad to hear ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.’s player comps for the Heisman winner.

“I think what you look at with Fernando is a cross between Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan,“ he said. “I’m not a comp guy, because we always comp them to the great guys, but yeah, I see a little Peyton in him. I see a little Matt Ryan in him.

“And keep in mind, people think he’s a one-year wonder. He’s not.

NFL Stadium Status

Chicago Bears – NFL’s second-oldest franchise ready to abandon state as $5bn stadium project delayed again

Kansas City Chiefs – Chiefs owner issues response as Kansas City’s $4bn cross-state relocation plan hits roadblock

Jacksonville Jaguars – $5.6bn NFL team to relocate 150 miles away to 90-year-old stadium as decision made

Cleveland Browns – NFL team stung by new $2.6bn stadium as owners release statement

Tennessee Titans – Inside $2.2bn NFL stadium revealed as new ‘stolen’ uniforms and logo slammed after leak

“At Cal, he was a really good quarterback behind a bad offensive line. That’s why he was sacked 41 times. He knew he had to get the ball out quicker, and he improved on that number dramatically at Indiana when he got a little bit more help.”

The Raiders spent $81 million to sign Tyler Linderbaum in a bid to fix a dire O-line, but getting the ball out quickly might still be a good option for whoever is under center in Sin City.

Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for news, exclusive interviews and more.