Should the 4-5 Raiders Trade Cousins and Start Fernando Mendoza?

The Raiders are 4-5, one game out of the playoffs, with a veteran quarterback playing well and a rookie waiting. So with the trade deadline here, should Las Vegas move Kirk Cousins and hand the job to Fernando Mendoza?

Rich's answer on The Rich Eisen Show was no.

Why Cousins Stays

"If you think the kid is ready and you can get something significant for Kirk Cousins, do you do it? I don't think you do," Rich said, "because by the time Mendoza gets in there, you're going to want Cousins right there. That's the idea."

He acknowledged that being the mentor as a backup would be tough for Cousins. "But he's the type of guy that will do it," Rich said.

When the Switch Might Come

Rich's view is that the Raiders turn to Mendoza only when they realize it's a tall order to keep stacking wins and chase a playoff spot. The schedule will tell them.

Next up is Seattle, with Drew Lock, who got banged up in the win over Arizona to the point that Jalen Milroe was warming up. "Wouldn't that be wild if Jalen Milroe starts?" Rich said, though Lock is expected to be ready, with Seattle on a bye the following week, when Darnold returns.

Then comes a trip to Denver in week 11. "I think Cousins is better equipped to play that game, clearly," Rich said. After that, it's at Cleveland and a bye. "That's where it might happen."

Get an Asset?

The counterargument came from across the desk: Cousins isn't going to be on the team next year, so get an asset for him now.

The response was that letting him walk could bring back a compensatory pick, maybe a third-rounder, and that a deadline offer would have to beat that. Better to hold on and get a better comp pick than take a weak trade.

Don't Pull the Plug

The bigger issue is the message. "They've been getting their brains beaten in for so long. You've got a shot," Rich said. "I don't think you tap out."

"It just makes no sense to say to a team that's getting their brains beaten in, we're four and five, we're one game out of the playoffs, we're pulling the plug, and we're starting the kid," was how the desk summed it up.

The only exception would be believing Mendoza is already better than Cousins. That drew a quick response: "Kirk is balling out, man."

There was one knock on Cousins raised in the room: he can't move, and that's part of why the Raiders' run game has been so ineffective. Even so, the verdict held. You don't do it.