Kirk Cousins Warns Maxx Crosby to Stay Off His Arm During Raiders Practice

Kirk Cousins once again found himself in a physical practice situation as the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback asked defenders to stay away from his arm during a joint training session with the Houston Texans.

The incident comes just days after Cousins had a heated exchange with Raiders defensive star Maxx Crosby during practice. A similar situation unfolded on Tuesday when Cousins’ arm was hit during the joint session with Houston.

Kirk Cousins asks defenders to stay away from his arm

Cousins explained after practice that his elbow and shoulder are areas where he could potentially suffer an injury if hit awkwardly. The veteran quarterback also pointed to previous injuries sustained during NFL games as a reason for his concern.

“My elbow got hit,” Cousins said. “I joke with Maxx and say, you can touch me anywhere you want, just don’t touch my arm.”

The Raiders quarterback added that he has experienced painful hits during actual games that affected his ability to continue playing.

“The elbow and the shoulder is where I could sprain something pretty easily. I’ve got some scars from hits in real games where helmets go into armpits and things, and it ruins your season,” Cousins explained.

Cousins reminds Texans about the red jersey

During practice, Cousins also reminded the Texans defenders that he was wearing the red jersey, which generally indicates that the quarterback should not be subjected to full contact.

“I was just asking them to stay off the arm and had to remind the Texans as well,” Cousins said.

He jokingly questioned the purpose of wearing the red jersey if defenders were still going to make contact with him during practice.

“I might as well take the red jersey off because you’re playing with, sometimes, an understood rule that if it’s not understood, then what are we doing?” he added.

Maxx Crosby and Cousins previously had a heated exchange

The latest incident follows a confrontation between Cousins and Crosby during Raiders practice last week. Reports indicated that Crosby hit Cousins twice, leading to a verbal exchange between the two players before teammates stepped in to separate them.

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak subsequently played down the incident, explaining that physical moments and confrontations can happen during training camp.

Cousins joined the Raiders in April after spending the previous two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He signed a five-year, $172 million contract with Las Vegas.

Kirk Cousins praises the Texans defense

Despite the physical nature of the joint practice, Cousins praised the challenge provided by the Houston Texans defense.

Houston’s defense was among the league’s strongest last season, making the joint practice an important test for the Raiders offense.

“It was good,” Cousins said. “It was a good challenge. You feel their rush. They do a good job of pursuing, playing fast. I was pleased with the way we made some plays. Just would’ve loved to finish the last period with more production.”

Raiders and Texans set for preseason matchup

The Raiders and Texans are scheduled to meet in a preseason game on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. The matchup will provide another opportunity for Cousins and the Las Vegas offense to test themselves against Houston’s defense.

After facing the Texans, the Raiders will take on the San Francisco 49ers before opening their regular-season campaign at home against the Miami Dolphins on September 13.