Michael Penix Jr. Weighs In on Kirk Cousins-Fernando Mendoza Duo Following Falcons Drama

Michael Penix Jr. believes Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza will benefit greatly from having Kirk Cousins in the quarterbacks' room with him.

"[Mendoza] is going to get a great guy, before the football player," Penix told The Athletic's Josh Kendall. "You look at Kirk as a man, as a husband, as a father—he has always been great. Obviously, for Fernando, his first year coming up, I know he's gonna be able to work with Kirk, and Kirk's going to be there for him."

Penix spent parts of two seasons with Cousins before the Atlanta Falcons released the veteran quarterback this offseason.

"The person that he was for me, just helping me make sure I was locked in each and every day, making sure that I understood some of the reads, some of the things that you would get in the league," Penix added. "Kirk is definitely gonna help (Mendoza) understand getting through your reads, understanding when to eliminate different route concepts so that you can get to the back side and continue to play great football."

While the succession plan in Atlanta was a bit murky—the Falcons signed Cousins to a massive contract ahead of the 2024 season, only to draft Penix in the first round shortly after—there's little doubt that Mendoza is the future of the Raiders and likely will be the starter at some point in 2026, if not immediately (though reports have indicated the Raiders want to bring Mendoza along slowly).

Penix speaking so highly of Cousins is a good indication that no matter how the Raiders handle the position this season, Mendoza will have a solid mentor along the way.