Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak faced one of his first major challenges as an NFL head coach this weekend.
He passed the test with flying colors.
Kubiak watched chaos ensue on the practice field late in Friday’s practice when veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins momentarily snapped on star teammate Maxx Crosby and Kubiak took firm, decisive action to make it known it won’t be tolerated again.
Cousins was agitated at how often Crosby was coming too close to him in the pocket, a no-no at an NFL practice.
And nothing new for Crosby.
For better or worse, mostly for the better, he practices right up to the edge. It’s become his identity.
Cousins noticed it right away, mentioning Crosby’s aggression during a news conference after his first training camp practice as Crosby’s teammate last month.
“I’m just a little bit nervous that he’s got to respect the red jersey these next few weeks,” Cousins said. “So I’ll try to make sure that happens.”
That’s called foreshadowing.
A short time later, Crosby took his turn at the podium and said he had been issued several reminders about what was and wasn’t acceptable as it relates to going against his own quarterbacks in practice.
“I got a whole textbook full of rules that I’ve got to follow or I’m going to get in trouble, but that comes with it,” Crosby, who admitted he frequently got removed from college practices for the same reason, said at the time. “I practice one way. I know that I push the line and sometimes I go over the line.
“Ultimately, it’s because I want to be the greatest at what I do, and I want to push my teammates to be the greatest version of themselves. So, when you get out there and bullets are flying, I’m not thinking about not finishing the play. That’s just not in my nature. So that’s something I’ve been dealing with my whole career. It’s not easy, but Klint Kubiak grabbed me the first day, and (defensive coordinator Robbie Leonard), and I feel like every single human is like, ‘Hey, you got a second? Tomorrow, if you’re in this situation …’”
But words weren’t going to change anything.
Crosby is right. It’s who he is, and it’s why he is frustrating to practice against and infuriating to play against.
Pushing the boundaries is part of what makes him great.
Cousins, however, has seen some things during his time in the league and wasn’t going to allow what he viewed as a potential injury risk permitted to carry on unrestrained.
He saw enough Friday and went after Crosby after yet another incursion in his throwing area.
Just as Crosby is practicing in the way that he feel makes him the best version of himself, Cousins was justified in being the one to stand up to those actions.
It was probably about time for it to happen, and Cousins was the perfect candidate as a veteran in the league who has earned his respect and stature.
None of this is bad for the Raiders.
It shows there are multiple leaders on both sides of the ball willing to stick up for themselves and their teammates.
Even if a small part of Kubiak was fine with the situation, he can’t say that.
So he explained to the organization that there must be consequences for those actions regardless of how important the players are to the team.
He forced Cousins and Crosby to watch practice from the sideline Saturday, sending a message about who is in charge.
While it might seem like an easy decision, you are a first-year head coach and this is your veteran starting quarterback and your bombastic star defensive end.
The wrong move that’s not supported by the majority of the roster could shift the mood of the locker room.
That’s not likely to happen after Kubiak made a swift and definitive decision.
One that is likely to earn him even more respect.
The question will be how much it makes Crosby respect the red jersey and what happens if he doesn’t.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
