Training Camp Notebook 8/6: Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza highlight Raiders work on day with restored intensity

The Las Vegas Raiders returned to practice on Thursday for their seventh training-camp session after taking a day off for rest and recovery, and the early focus quickly centered on the quarterback competition and the secondary. The pads came back off momentarily during portions of the workout, but the Raiders’ pace did not noticeably drop, according to the team’s training-camp notebook.

Kirk Cousins and Ashton Jeanty, both working as quarterbacks in the session, were highlighted as two players setting the tone. Training camp often uses these mid-August practices to sharpen command of the offense, timing on intermediate throws, and decision-making in short-yardage and situational periods, and the notebook framed Cousins and Jeanty as the points of emphasis for the position group on Thursday.

Defense was part of that same story. Fernando Mendoza, identified in the notebook as a rookie cornerback, was among the names singled out for showcasing his strengths. Rookie defensive backs typically get evaluated on fundamentals that translate quickly from drills to live reps, including coverage recognition, footwork in transition, and how they handle route stems at game speed. The Raiders’ staff highlighted Mendoza’s impact without describing any single play in detail.

As the pads cycled and the team worked through phases of practice, the overall emphasis appeared to remain on consistency and execution across a full week of installation. In that context, a “no drop in intensity” theme matters. It indicates that the coaching staff viewed the rest day as functional, allowing the work to resume with a similar tempo rather than reverting to a lighter schedule.

For the Raiders, Thursday’s notebook also fits into the broader rhythm of camp: quarterbacks and defensive playmakers are often the most visible performers early in the week, while coaches continue sorting out patterns, communication, and assignments that will be tested later as practice becomes more competitive. The specific attention given to Cousins and Jeanty, alongside Mendoza on defense, underscores where the team chose to place its evaluative lens on this day’s reps.

What to watch next is how those performances carry into subsequent practices. With training-camp work measured day to day, the most meaningful takeaway is not a single highlight but whether the same players can reproduce sharp execution when the session shifts from periods to full-team alignments. If Cousins and Jeanty continue to lead the quarterback portion of the work while Mendoza maintains his standout presence in the secondary, that would suggest the Raiders are getting productive returns from both experience at the position and development from their rookies.