Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza shared a heartfelt message to Kirk Cousins and his family after he was traded away to the Minnesota Vikings.
“I really, truly, from the bottom of my heart, wanted to thank Kirk and the entire Cousins family, whether it was Julie, Cooper or Turner,” Mendoza, 23, told reporters on Wednesday, November 11. “They’ve, as a family, done so much for me. They’ve essentially taken me into their household when they were here, and they welcomed me with open arms.”
Kirk, 38, and Julie, 37, who got married in June 2014, share sons Cooper, 9, and Turner, 7.
“It would have been really easy for Kirk, being a veteran quarterback and already proved everything, to be a little bit more dismissive,” Mendoza continued. “But he had me with open arms and has taught me so many things, whether it was film study, how to operate as a starting quarterback, all the different multifaceted approaches that have made him so successful throughout his career. He has shared with no restrictions and no constraints.”
He added, “I really appreciate him, and it was heartfelt to see him [go]. He was a great mentor.”
Kirk was traded to the Vikings on Wednesday in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick. The trade paved the way for Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, to take over starting quarterback duties in Las Vegas.
The Raiders host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, November 15.
As for Kirk, he returns to the Twin Cities after playing for the Vikings for six seasons from 2018 to 2023. The quarterback said he was convinced to come back to Minnesota after a phone call with head coach Kevin O’Connell. (O’Connell, 41, was also the quarterback’s coach during Kirk’s time with the Washington Commanders.)
“Kevin knows me,” Kirk told reporters after arriving in Minnesota on Wednesday. “Kevin knows what I do well. Kevin knows what I don’t do well. Kevin knows what I can handle. Kevin knows what I can’t handle. And I think that helps, not just that he knows your strengths, but that he knows your weaknesses and that as a result he’s going to try to protect you and not have you do things that he knows, ‘You know what, that’s not how Kirk functions. That’s not his best chance of success.’”
He added, “I think the fact that he knows me well, the good about me and the bad about me. I think [that] should help us.”
The Vikings hit the road to play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, with Kirk expected to start.
