Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins and pass rusher Maxx Crosby were held out of Saturday’s training camp practice for violating the team rules prohibiting fights when they went chest to chest during the Friday session.
“We have very clear expectations on how we want to practice and how we want to go about our business, and we violated that yesterday,” said head coach Klint Kubiak.
Kubiak talked to the team and both players, who will return to camp practice on Monday.
Cousins reacted to Crosby’s second strike of his throwing arm by shouting and getting in Crosby’s chest, one of two fights during Friday’s practice. Cousins, days away from his 38th birthday, is slated to begin the regular season as the Raiders’ starting quarterback while No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza gets up to speed at the NFL level.
Kubiak said Friday he expected better from two of the team’s leaders.
With Cousins in the penalty box, a door opened for Mendoza.
He ran the first-team offense in Saturday’s practice and looked sharp by the end of the workout. He consistently connected with tight end Brock Bowers, who has been the talk of training camp in Kubiak’s scheme.
Crosby was traded to the Ravens, but Baltimore rejected the deal following what the franchise said was a failed physical. Now back in Las Vegas, Crosby and coaches had a formal sitdown before training camp to discuss his intensity on the practice field. Kubiak said it was not as much about protecting teammates or the team’s quarterbacks but helping Crosby stay on the field. He is working his way back from knee surgery.
“I got up a whole textbook full of rules that I got to follow, or I’m going to get in trouble, but that comes with it,” Crosby said. “I practice one way. I know that I push the line, and sometimes I go over the line.”
