Raiders name Kirk Cousins as Week 1 starting quarterback, Fernando Mendoza will begin career as backup

Mendoza-Mania will not be coming to Las Vegas just yet.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday that the team is naming Kirk Cousins its Week 1 starting quarterback against the Miami Dolphins, meaning Fernando Mendoza will begin his career as a backup.

"(Cousins has) played really good football, I’m really happy with all three of (the) quarterbacks. Kirk’s had a really good offseason, very good camp, and he’s earned it," Kubiak told reporters.

When asked if he expects Mendoza to play at all this year, Kubiak deflected the question and said the team is focused on the Dolphins.

Raiders general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady have been advocates about letting a rookie develop behind a veteran quarterback, which makes the team's decision to roll with Cousins unsurprising.

Spytek said Mendoza has shown the team everything it learned about him in the draft process when talking to reporters Tuesday.

"He’s a tireless worker. He loves football. He loves his teammates. He’s energetic on the field. He’s self-critical. He’s self-aware. He’s very accurate," Spytek said during a recent press conference. "His time is coming, but he’s got to earn it every day, and he knows that. I think we’re all very pleased with the person and his work ethic and his commitment to being a great quarterback."

When asked if the team has a proof of concept for how to best develop a young quarterback, Spytek cited examples from multiple different processes.

"Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, Patrick Mahomes, but Jayden Daniels. Like you said, there’s success stories and failures in both ways," Spytek said. "We’re just trying to build the best team we can and play the guys that are most ready to play, and have a constant competition in every room, not just the quarterback room, but every room."

Brady, Rodgers, Love and Mahomes all sat during their rookie years and, in some cases, multiple seasons before taking over starting jobs and flourishing. Daniels, however, started as a rookie and thrived, winning The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and making the Pro Bowl after leading the Commanders to the NFC championship game.

Kubiak said Brady has been a great resource for the team when it comes to making the decision on the team's starting quarterback.

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Cousins signed a two-year deal with the Raiders in the offseason after being released by the Atlanta Falcons following a tumultuous two seasons.

Cousins was benched in Week 15 in 2024, the first year of the deal, for rookie Michael Penix Jr. after the four-time Pro Bowler struggled down the stretch as he battled through injury. Cousins started eight games last season, including the final seven after Penix tore his ACL, and the team had a 5-3 record in his starts, including winning the last four.

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In 10 games and eight starts last season, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The veteran quarterback has the 19th-most regular-season passing yards (44,700) and 15th-most passing touchdowns (298) in NFL history.

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Cousins also had familiarity with Kubiak from their time with the Minnesota Vikings. They spent three seasons together, with Kubiak serving as Cousins’ quarterbacks coach for two seasons and offensive coordinator for another in Minnesota.

Cousins will hope that familiarity will pay off when the Raiders play the Dolphins in Week 1.

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Alabama AG Marshall fires back at USPS mail-ballot order critics: ‘This is about securing elections’

Republican Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall argues that his Democratic counterparts do not care about election integrity in the same way Republicans do, as they attempt to block measures designed to root out illegal voters they have long claimed do not exist.

Marshall addressed a legal challenge brought by 25 Democratic state attorneys general challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that included provisions for federal agencies to help states ensure only citizens receive mail-in ballots, and for the U.S. Postal Service to institute practices to make the ballots trackable.

"The left, because they’re concerned about losing at the midterms, want to be able to obstruct this administration’s efforts to ensure the integrity of our elections," Marshall told Fox News Digital this week, ahead of Thursday's oral arguments before U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston.

"You have to wonder – when those that are objecting to this – how confident they can be in the security of their elections, as opposed to becoming just a partisan opportunity to ensure the Democrats win and keep conservative voices from being heard, not only in local and state levels of government, but particularly in Washington."

DHS PLANS COSTLY CRACKDOWN ON STATES THAT DON’T COOPERATE ON ELECTION SECURITY

Marshall led a letter in July from 13 Republican attorneys general, backing the U.S. Postal Service's following up on Trump's March 31 executive order that set up an audit of states' voter rolls.

"There shouldn't be a reason why we object to that, but yet Democrats simply don't want to have fair elections in a way that people can have confidence," Marshall claimed.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic Attorneys General Association for comment on Marshall's remarks, but they did not immediately respond.

Democrats, in various arguments to block the audit of voter rolls before the mailing out of absentee ballots, claim that it would lead to "disenfranchisement," "chaos," "unconstitutional overreach" and a partisan "power grab."

Democrats' concern is that if they refuse to share their voter rolls with the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to crosscheck the eligibility of legal voters, the USPS can stop the mailing of state's absentee ballots.

"USPS's interest in correcting an unsubstantiated problem through likely unconstitutional means is dwarfed by the overwhelming risk of pervasive disenfranchisement of citizens who need access to mail ballots in order to vote," Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama, wrote in her restraining order against the Trump administration.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM RESTRICTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

"The postal service is not a partisan organization. As the postmaster said, I think most recently, we're just there to deliver the mail. They're experts in how it is that this can be configured."

Marshall stated that the problem of voter fraud is documented, not "unsubstantiated," as Talwani put it, with evidence in his own state.

USPS WOULDN'T DELIVER BALLOTS IN STATES THAT REFUSE TO FORK OVER MAIL-IN VOTER INFO UNDER PROPOSED RULE

"This is not a solution looking for a problem," he said. "This is in response to what we know is going on across the country. And this provides a commonsense, straightforward way for states to be able to ensure elections, but most importantly, for the people of this country to have belief that their elections in fact are accurate."

MAIL-VOTING CRACKDOWN MOVES AHEAD AS TRUMP COURT WIN OPENS DOOR TO FEDERAL ACTION

"It's not a shock that Democrats are standing up the ability for us to pass the SAVE [America] Act because they don't want to allow for there to be assurances of what is already in the law: That somebody here illegally cannot be able to vote," he added. "But here we have the president being able to make sure that we are allowing for government resources to be used in an appropriate way to simply allow those who are qualified to vote, vote, and those who aren't, don't."

Marshall has little confidence that the Obama-appointed judge in Boston is going to side with the Trump administration and the law.

"I would be remiss if I didn't say that I would fully expect her to continue with the Democratic Party line," he said. "The Trump administration has already filed a request with the First Circuit to try to get a stay of that order, but yet we're going to continue to battle this case along with the administration and look forward to standing beside them when they obtain this victory."

TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS

Marshall maintains Republicans are not stopping anyone from getting an absentee ballot – they're just trying to make sure the process is conducted legally and securely.

"Here we have a barcode that allows us to be able to connect it directly with the voter – we have the assurance that that ballot is being cast by the person in fact that receives that ballot," he said. "Democrats and Republicans alike ought to praise this as a commonsense effort to be able to restore election integrity in this area, but it's not a shock that Democrats have opposed it."

MORE THAN A QUARTER-MILLION NONCITIZENS MAY BE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 4 KEY STATES, DHS ALLEGES

Marhall pointed to the 2005 bipartisan commission chaired by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker that identified mailed absentee ballots as being susceptible to fraud.

"This is about securing elections, not interfering with states' abilities to conduct elections, and we think that we'll be able to eliminate many of the issues that we've seen, including in Alabama, that have occurred in the past."

The restraining order Talwani issued will remain in place for up to one more week while she considers whether to issue a longer-term preliminary injunction blocking the rule. The hearing is Thursday in Boston, but the fight will go on from states on both sides as the midterm mail-in ballot season officially gets underway.

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NY Gov Kathy Hochul accuses Trump of 'defunding the police,' says DHS is 'withholding' counterterror funds

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul accused President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security of "withholding" millions of dollars in counterterrorism funding.

"The Department of Homeland Security, the agency created in response to 9/11, is withholding 40% of New York State's counterterrorism funding," Hochul asserted during a press conference with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday.

"That 40% adds up to $87 million," she said.

FLASHBACK: MAMDANI TORCHED FOR RECYCLING 9/11 TRIBUTES AFTER YEARS OF NEAR-IDENTICAL POSTS

The Democratic governor accused the president of "defunding the police" and said he is "endangering public safety to yet again extract revenge on a blue state."

"Don't play political games with people's lives. Release the $87 million you owe us," Hochul said to the president.

"Because if you don't release the counterterrorism funding, you're betraying every family that lost someone on 9/11. You're betraying every police officer and firefighter who puts their lives on the line every single day. And you're betraying every New Yorker who no longer believes that the federal government is there to protect them," she said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the DHS on Tuesday.

Mamdani declared that "the federal government's refusal to provide $87 million in critical public safety and emergency readiness funding that was promised is so unacceptable."

RETIRED PORT AUTHORITY OFFICERS TELL MAMDANI, HOCHUL TO STAY AWAY FROM GROUND ZERO ON 9/11

"We are talking about the money needed to fully fund 12 bomb squads across New York. We are talking about the money needed to ensure that in the event of a catastrophic attack, the FDNY can communicate internally and respond effectively. And we are talking about making sure that should New Yorkers ever face a radiological threat, our first responders have the training, the equipment and the capabilities they need to respond. To put it simply, there is no excuse for the federal government to leave the nation's largest city to shoulder this burden alone," he said.

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LeSean McCoy throws his support behind the guy who allegedly scammed women by posing as a 49ers player

The world is still unpacking the lengths to which one man and his alleged accomplice are accused of going to scam women out of money by making them believe he played for the San Francisco 49ers.

Just when you thought that team's offseason couldn't take any more wild turns, right?

But it turns out that Daejon Love (great name) has some support in his corner, courtesy of ex-NFL running back LeSean McCoy.

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OutKick's Dan Zaksheske — who covered this story as far back as 2024 — wrote last week that the 35-year-old Love was arrested in Boise, Idaho with alleged accomplice Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

With that, photos and videos of Love seemingly pretending to play for the Niners started making the rounds, showing the lengths the alleged ruse went to.

Running routes on the beach while wearing a helmet will go down as an all-timer...

The legal process is underway, but former NFL star LeSean McCoy likes the cut of Love's jib. He said as much on a recent episode of his show, "Speakeasy."

"I love Daejon Love, and let me tell you why," McCoy said, winding up for a doozy. "Every time a man does something, they want to crucify us for it. I watch women do this all the freaking time!

"Yo, you go to social media, you see the girl, she has all these bags," he continued. "Birkin this, Birkin that, nice house, nice car, all this stuff. 'I'm a self-(made) millionaire, I got all these things going on,' right? So you meet her, you date her, and now, as your girlfriend you like, 'Oh, she's been scamming me.'"

I get what he's saying... but how many of those women pretended to sign NFL contracts and ran routes in the sand with a Riddell on their noggins?

Maybe one gave it the old college try, but I'm pretty comfortable saying it's zero.

Neither one is cool, but they're very different.

There's a pretty big difference between presenting yourself as something you're not and doing that to allegedly scam twenty-six women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California out of $1.3 million.

I'm with Shady on this part of his argument: just be yourself.

Whether you're posing with expensive handbags or trying to convince people you signed an NFL deal, people will find out eventually. It's better to just accept what you are than get caught being something you're not.

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It's the same message I have to dudes losing their hair.

Brother, you're not fooling anyone; just accept it or shave it off and move on.

It's always going to be less embarrassing than having your toupee fly off when you're playing a pick-up game of hoops at the Y.

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El-Sayed torched online after uneasy union member struggles through campaign event

A woman delivering remarks at a news conference held by Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Monday appeared visibly nervous and repeatedly paused during her speech, prompting a wave of speculation on social media about the reason for her unease.

The woman, whom El-Sayed's staff identified as a union member employed by a truck factory, paused at multiple points during her speech, was breathing heavily and appeared uneasy. El-Sayed and Democratic State Sen. Mallory McMorrow both attempted to comfort the woman as she trudged through her remarks.

Some conservative commentators on social media questioned whether the woman had been coerced into speaking at the event, while others used the moment to criticize El-Sayed's campaign organization. These claims drew the ire of Mallory McMorrow, who ran against El-Sayed in the state’s Democratic primary but has since endorsed his candidacy.

"She had never spoken at a press conference before. Beforehand, she shared with me that she was really nervous. But she told me it was important for her to be there as a UAW member because she believed in using her voice for her fellow members and for working families," the state senator wrote on X. "But the way you all are tearing her apart … It's callous, cruel and it's no wonder why so many people absolutely despise this moment that we're in."

DEMOCRATS' CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN

Some commentators focused on the union member's race, tying the episode to broader criticism of El-Sayed's support among Black voters in the Democratic primary.

BLACK VOTERS RIP DEMS OVER TAKING THEM FOR GRANTED IN EL-SAYED'S BACKYARD: ‘HUSH US UP’

"Abdul's support from black Michiganders summed up perfectly in 40 seconds," radio host and conservative columnist Derek Hunter wrote on X.

"The El Sayed campaign is in free fall," Trump administration official Richard Grenell said.

Others questioned whether the woman even wanted to be speaking at a campaign event.

"Are they holding a gun to her back?" an organization purporting to represent Democrats backing GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers posted in response to the clip.

"She seems to be under duress! Looks like she’s being coerced into speaking. Very eerie!" conservative commentator Link Lauren wrote.

"Is it just me or does she look hostage-level nervous?" another X user asked.

"Haven't seen someone set themselves on fire for no reason like this since Aaron Bushnell," Daily Signal senior correspondent Tony Kinnett posted.

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT MALLORY MCMORROW DROPS OUT OF SENATE RACE WEEKS BEFORE PRIMARY

Zaid Jilani, a left-of-center journalist, responded to criticisms of the union member by stating that "conservatives lose a lot of support by being needlessly cruel."

The El-Sayed campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

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Tony Romo opens up about pain medication and alcohol dependence after pleading no contest to Wisconsin OWI

Tony Romo on Tuesday pleaded no contest to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a charge resulting from his July arrest on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Milwaukee, and then he released a statement admitting an "over-reliance on alcohol" to treat his chronic back issues.

First the legal part:

According to online court records, Romo's license will be revoked for six months and he will be required to pay a fine of $784. The records also show Romo must complete an Alcohol Assessment Program and install an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he owns

TONY ROMO ALLEGEDLY REFUSED INTOXICATION TEST AFTER OWI ARREST FOLLOWING MILWAUKEE GOLF EVENT: REPORT

Romo, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and is now a CBS NFL analyst, was found to have a "strong odor of alcohol" during the July traffic stop, according to police records.

Police allegedly found an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage on the passenger side of Romo's vehicle.

Court records show Romo was cited for refusing to take a test for intoxication and first offense OWI.

Now comes the sad but in some ways uplifting part:

NFL ANALYST TONY ROMO PLACED ON LEAVE BY CBS SPORTS FOLLOWING DRUNK DRIVING ARREST IN WISCONSIN

Romo released a statement on his Instagram account to his 658,000 followers in which he took responsibility for his actions.

"This morning, I faced a recent personal failure by pleading no contest to a civil offense of OWI in Wisconsin," Romo said in his statement. "I own this completely."

And then Romo outlined his struggles with pain killers and then alcohol, which he said he used to wean himself off the pain killers.

"Multiple back surgeries ended my career earlier than I expected, and left me with constant debilitating pain," Romo said. "The pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.

"As I have taught my three young sons, when you fall short, you stand up and take full responsibility. That is an important first step. The harder and more important step is examining the path that brought you here and making the changes necessary to move forward.

"The path requires honesty. None of this is an excuse. These are my failures, and I take full responsibility for them."

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Romo's authenticity, which made him the lead NFL analyst at CBS, is evident in his statement, particularly when he shares the extreme lows of his arrest and his attempt to rebound.

"The past month has been difficult, but it has also been personally significant," Romo said. "It required me to confront and own my mistakes fully, to the Lord, to myself, to my family, and now to the public.

"I am working closely with a team of doctors to address my health and make the necessary changes. I am deeply grateful for the support of my family, my friends, and the NFL community, including players, coaches and owners.

"Your encouragement has meant more to me than you know."

In a world where social media likes measure approval, Romo so far has nearly 17,000 likes for his posted statement.

One of those was from Fox Sports lead analyst Tom Brady.

FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO

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