Raiders Hold QB Kirk Cousins & Maxx Crosby Out Of Practice a Day After Scuffle

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby were held out of Saturday’s training camp practice, a disciplinary response after the two got into a heated scuffle during Friday’s session that had to be broken up by teammates.

The altercation began during a contentious team period, when Crosby hit Cousins’ throwing arm twice in quick succession. After the second hit, Cousins confronted Crosby, grabbing his jersey and getting in his face before the two were separated amid a heated back-and-forth.

No punches were thrown, according to multiple reports, but the intensity of the exchange between two of the Raiders’ most prominent players was enough to draw a clear response from the coaching staff. It wasn’t the only flare-up of the day, either — defensive lineman Jonah Laulu punched second-year right guard Caleb Rogers earlier in the same practice.

Head coach Klint Kubiak, in his first season leading the Raiders, addressed the incident directly with reporters Saturday, making clear there would be no exceptions to how he wants his team to operate. He said the organization has very clear expectations for how practice and business are conducted, and that those expectations were violated Friday, which is why both players were held out. Kubiak confirmed both Cousins and Crosby would be back on the field for Monday’s practice, but declined to elaborate further, saying the matter had been addressed internally with the team and the organization was ready to move on.

The decision to sideline Cousins gave rookie first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza his first extended opportunity to run the starting offense during training camp, a notable data point given the Raiders open their preseason schedule Thursday night at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Kubiak hasn’t announced how he plans to divide snaps between his quarterbacks in that game, though Mendoza is expected to see meaningful playing time and could even start, with the Raiders widely expected to turn to him as a long-term answer under center at some point this season.

Despite the discipline, several teammates framed the incident in a positive light. Tight end Michael Mayer said the moment reflected the kind of competitive edge Cousins has always carried, saying it’s the sort of fire you want a quarterback to bring in defense of his team. He added that physical scuffles are simply part of padded practices during camp, characterizing Friday’s incident as more about competitive energy than any deeper rift between teammates trying to help turn around a once-proud franchise.

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Article by USports Editors