Raiders Suspend Kirk Cousins, Maxx Crosby After Practice Fight

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Maxx Crosby were suspended from team drills at practice Saturday following their fight the day before, according to the Associated Press. The suspension gave rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner from Indiana and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, his first opportunity in training camp to run the starting offense. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak announced the discipline in a statement. “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.” Cousins and Crosby had to be separated by teammates after the fight. The 37-year-old quarterback appeared upset that Crosby tipped his pass, forcing an incompletion, and then charged the 6-foot-5, 256-pound defensive end, who is three inches taller and 42 pounds heavier. The altercation occurred during Friday’s practice session. Crosby made contact with Cousins multiple times during the workout, which led to the confrontation. The Raiders are off Sunday before returning Monday morning. Cousins and Crosby will compete against each other again, though Kubiak said he hopes without any punches. With Cousins watching from the sideline Saturday, Mendoza took reps with the first-team offense against the Raiders’ starting defense. The rookie quarterback showed flashes of potential but also experienced ups and downs during the session. Cousins, who turns 38 later this month, signed with the Raiders in the offseason. Crosby, 28, is one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers and a cornerstone of the Raiders’ defense. The suspension comes as the Raiders prepare for the upcoming regular season. Team officials have not indicated whether further disciplinary action is pending against either player.