Raiders Suspend Kirk Cousins and Maxx Crosby After Practice Fight

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders suspended starting quarterback Kirk Cousins and star defensive end Maxx Crosby from team drills during practice on Saturday, August 8, 2026, following a physical altercation between the two team leaders during Friday’s session. The disciplinary action by head coach Klint Kubiak provided rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza his first opportunity of training camp to take reps with the first-team offense. The altercation occurred late in Friday’s live 11-on-11 padded session at the team's facility in Henderson, Nevada. Defensive end Maxx Crosby tipped a pass thrown by Kirk Cousins, forcing an incompletion. The play involved contact with Cousins' arm and head area, marking the second time during the practice session that contact occurred near the release point. Cousins, a 37-year-old 15-year NFL veteran, reacted with shouting before shoving Crosby and grabbing his jersey. Cousins then charged the 6-foot-5, 256-pound defensive lineman, who stands three inches taller and 42 pounds heavier than the veteran quarterback. Teammates quickly intervened and separated the two players before further physical conflict escalated. Cousins remained on the field to complete the drive, while Crosby was directed to the sideline by coaching staff. The scuffle was the second physical fight during Friday's practice. Earlier in the session, an exchange between right guard Caleb Rogers and defensive lineman Jonah Laulu escalated into a shoving match, during which Laulu threw a punch that prompted coaches to temporarily stop practice action. Following Saturday’s decision to hold both veterans out of full-team work, head coach Klint Kubiak addressed the media regarding the team's enforcement of internal conduct rules. “We have very clear expectations about how we want to practice, how you go about our business,” Kubiak said. “We violated that yesterday, so we held those guys out. That's all I'm going to say about it. We addressed it with the team and we're moving on.” Kubiak had previously noted after Friday's session that while competitive intensity is common during training camp, on-field physical fights carry direct game consequences under league rules. “Those are two leaders of our team going at it, so that is part of camp,” Kubiak stated on Friday. “Obviously, if you fight in a game and throw a punch in a game, then you're out of the game. So we've got to be smart and treat it like a game.” Raiders tight end Michael Mayer commented on the competitive tension following Friday's practice. “We don't want to be throwing punches, but I think on any padded day of camp, there's going to be some tussles,” Mayer said. “That's our starting quarterback right now, and you want him to defend your team and you want him to have some edge to him.” Crosby, who returned to full practice following offseason knee surgery and a trade attempt involving the Baltimore Ravens, commented on his approach to training camp drills. “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.” Both Cousins and Crosby are scheduled to return to full team drills when practice resumes on Monday.