Michigan State Professional Athletes

Michigan State alumni are everywhere in the NFL this week — and not all for comfortable reasons. Four Spartans generated significant headlines entering the 2026 regular season, ranging from a quarterback controversy settled in veteran favor to a punter's potentially season-ending injury.

Cousins Wins the Room in Las Vegas

Kirk Cousins, 38, is expected to be the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 1 starter over No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza — and the preseason finale against the 49ers only reinforced why. Cousins played two series, led the first-team offense to a pair of field goals, and was described by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler as the clear consensus choice league-wide. Head coach Klint Kubiak still declined to make an official announcement postgame, but as CBS Sports noted, it has been "Cousins' job to lose" throughout camp.

Mendoza, meanwhile, had an inconsistent final audition. The rookie struggled in relief of Cousins against San Francisco, finishing the preseason with shaky command that has dampened early expectations. Adding to the bad news: Mendoza reportedly landed in Kubiak's doghouse entering the week, per The Sporting News. The former top pick will begin his NFL career as a backup — a humbling but not uncommon start for young quarterbacks.

Fellow Spartan Connor Heyward is also in Las Vegas this season, and he's been featured prominently in Kubiak's preseason offensive scheme as a lead-blocking hybrid out of the backfield — an early sign that Kubiak values the fullback-TE hybrid role Heyward has long filled.

Walker's Ankle Raises Flags in Kansas City

Kenneth Walker III arrived in Kansas City this offseason with significant expectations as a key piece of the Chiefs' backfield — but training camp has hit a snag. Walker missed two consecutive days of practice due to an ankle injury, with head coach Andy Reid attributing the issue to a shoe problem. Reid's characterization suggests the underlying concern may be mechanical rather than structural, but the absence of a featured back in late August is always a reason for pause. Walker's health heading into Week 1 will be worth monitoring closely.

Baringer's Injury Clouds Patriots' Season Before It Starts

The most alarming Spartan news of the week comes out of New England. Punter Bryce Baringer suffered an injury serious enough that the Patriots are actively planning to sign a replacement, according to both Pro Football Talk and Boston.com. The team has not disclosed the nature of the injury, but the urgency to add another punter to the roster signals that Baringer's availability for the start — or potentially more — of the 2026 season is in serious doubt. Baringer had established himself as one of the better punters in the league entering the year, making this a genuine blow for a Patriots team already in rebuilding mode.

Elsewhere Around the League

MSU offensive tackle AJ Arcuri earned a positive PFF grade in the Rams' preseason finale, drawing notice in the team's closing auditions. And in Buffalo, fullback Ben VanSumeren's role is under the microscope — Yahoo Sports examined whether the Bills are truly committed to him at the position heading into the regular season.

For Spartan fans, it's a week of highs and lows: a 38-year-old proving he's still got it in the desert, a promising back nursing a training camp scare in Kansas City, and a punter whose 2026 season may already be in jeopardy in New England.

The QB Soap Opera Rolls On

Kirk Cousins arrived in Las Vegas as the presumed answer at quarterback. Eight weeks into Raiders camp, he's still waiting for official confirmation — and the suspense is very much intentional.

Head coach Klint Kubiak has repeatedly refused to anoint Cousins the Week 1 starter, even as the veteran has led the first-team offense throughout training camp. The wrinkle: rookie Fernando Mendoza earned first-team reps during joint practices with the Houston Texans this week and drew effusive praise from Fox broadcaster Troy Aikman. Kubiak's postgame message after the second preseason game was blunt — "We got another week" — signaling the competition isn't a formality.

Cousins, for his part, is threading a careful needle publicly. He told reporters he would "love" to mentor Mendoza while making clear he's not handing anything over willingly: "I don't want to be entitled." That's a studied answer from a 13-year veteran who knows the optics of a 38-year-old competing with the top draft pick in the country.

The week got spicier during joint practices. Cousins visibly clashed with both Texans defenders and his own teammate Maxx Crosby over physicality around his throwing arm, snapping at anyone who got too close with a blunt "don't touch my arm." Crosby later made a joke about the episode that landed to mixed reviews inside and outside the building. It's the kind of preseason friction that either signals competitive edge or foreshadows tension — Vegas will find out which soon enough.

Analysts have noted that the entire Cousins-vs.-Mendoza debate may be obscuring deeper roster concerns, but as long as the QB race stays unresolved, it will command the oxygen in that locker room.

Nailor's Moment to Shine

While Cousins fights for his starting job, Jalen Nailor is quietly building a case for a breakout role. The former Spartan wideout was flagged by Yahoo Sports as one of the Raiders' "hidden gems" heading into 2026 — a receiver with legitimate upside who could emerge as a complementary weapon alongside tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty.

Nailor's trajectory matters for a Raiders offense that will need reliable pass-catchers regardless of who's under center. Whether Cousins or Mendoza starts Week 1, a proven Spartan target in the slot gives either QB a known commodity — and Nailor's familiarity with Cousins from camp reps only adds to that value.

The Bigger Picture for Spartan Nation

Michigan State has a surprisingly deep footprint on the current Raiders roster. Beyond Cousins and Nailor, tight end Connor Heyward and veteran backup Brian Hoyer are also on the Las Vegas depth chart — meaning East Lansing alumni are represented at quarterback, receiver, tight end, and the backup QB room simultaneously.

Elsewhere in the league, punter Bryce Baringer continues to earn mentions in New England's rebuild under Mike Vrabel, appearing in coverage of the Patriots' stated Super Bowl ambitions for 2026. His role is special teams, but his name appearing in that conversation speaks to how central he is to New England's roster identity.

The headline story, though, belongs in Las Vegas. Cousins is one week away from learning whether he's still a starter or the most expensive mentor in NFL history. Spartan fans will want to watch closely.

Michigan State's fingerprints are all over the NFL this preseason — most visibly in Las Vegas, where Fernando Mendoza made his professional debut, and in Kansas City, where Kenneth Walker III is already winning over the biggest names in the game.

Mendoza's Debut: Promising, Not Yet Throne-Worthy

The No. 1 overall pick walked onto an NFL field for the first time in the Raiders' preseason opener, and by most accounts, he looked like he belonged. Mendoza flashed the playmaking ability that made him a Heisman Trophy winner, pushing through adversity during a debut that wasn't flawless but was encouraging enough to keep the Las Vegas faithful buzzing.

The catch? Kirk Cousins — fellow Michigan State alum — made the conversation complicated. Cousins scored a touchdown on his only drive before giving way to Mendoza, a cameo that was brief but pointed. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak was unambiguous afterward: QB1 is Cousins' job to lose. Cousins will work with the first string and continue to do so.

That doesn't mean the Raiders are shelving their prized rookie. Kubiak suggested all three quarterbacks — Cousins, Mendoza, and Aidan O'Connell — deserve time with the first team, teasing a development plan designed to bring Mendoza along without forcing the issue. The message from the coaching staff is deliberate patience, not suppression of a talent they spent the top pick to acquire.

The week wasn't without turbulence. Reports emerged that defensive end Maxx Crosby deliberately hit Cousins in practice — allegedly to engineer a trade to the Cowboys — adding an unusual subplot to an already charged quarterback room. Cousins, for his part, returned to practice Monday and appeared unfazed, telling reporters afterward that Raiders fans are hungry to cheer and it's the team's job to give them a reason.

Two Spartans, one depth chart, zero drama resolved. The Mendoza-Cousins dynamic is the most compelling quarterback subplot of early NFL preseason — and East Lansing alumni have a rooting interest on both sides of it.

Walker Arrives in Kansas City to Star Power Reception

Kenneth Walker III's move to the Chiefs hasn't gone unnoticed by the people who matter most in that building. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce went out of their way to hype the former Spartan running back, with Kelce calling him "a hell of a ballplayer." That kind of endorsement from Kansas City's star duo is more than a courtesy — it signals Walker is being folded into the Chiefs' offensive identity with genuine enthusiasm.

Walker's fit in Andy Reid's system remains to be seen on the field, but the early buzz from within the locker room is exactly the kind of soft launch a back needs when changing organizations.

Around the Rest of the Spartan Alumni Board

Elsewhere in the league, Broncos linebacker Jordan Turner was activated off the NFI list after passing his physical, returning to the practice field for the first time this training camp. Turner had been sidelined since the start of camp, so his return gives Denver a bit more depth at the position heading into the preseason stretch.

In Green Bay, wide receiver Jayden Reed returned to Packers practice after a brief absence, per a training camp recap from the period. Nothing alarming — just a name to track as the Packers sort their receiver room before the regular season.

It's a strong week to be a Spartan in the NFL. The headliners are impossible to ignore.

Michigan State alumni have never been more central to an NFL training camp story — and this one has everything: a veteran QB, a drafted heir apparent, and a brawl that reshuffled the Las Vegas Raiders' depth chart for a weekend.

The Fight That Started It All

Kirk Cousins and star defensive end Maxx Crosby got into a scuffle late in Friday's practice at Raiders camp, requiring teammates to jump in and separate them. Per reports, Cousins confronted Crosby after the pass rusher hit his arm multiple times during drills. Head coach Klint Kubiak initially played it down — "That's training camp," he said Friday — but reversed course by Saturday morning, suspending both Cousins and Crosby from team drills for violating team rules on fighting.

Kubiak wasn't cutting either player any slack regardless of star power. Both were present and dressed for Saturday's workout but watched from the sideline instead of participating in team reps.

Mendoza Steps Into the Spotlight

The biggest winner of the fallout? Fellow Spartan Fernando Mendoza. The rookie quarterback — drafted by Las Vegas to be the franchise's long-term answer under center — stepped into expanded reps with the first-team offense during Cousins' absence from drills, getting an unscripted audition in front of coaches and front office staff.

The opportunity was significant, even if expectations were tempered. Kubiak was measured in his assessment of the young signal-caller, telling reporters: "I don't expect him to be perfect right now." The Raiders' stated plan entering camp was always to let Cousins serve as the bridge starter while Mendoza develops — but Saturday's chaos accelerated that timeline, at least briefly. A Yahoo Sports mailbag also put the question directly to the fanbase: in a Cousins injury scenario, is Mendoza or Aidan O'Connell the next man up? The answer, per reporting, leans toward Mendoza.

The moment illustrated exactly why having two Michigan State quarterbacks on the same NFL roster is an unusual and compelling subplot. Cousins, the 13-year veteran, arrived in Las Vegas to stabilize the offense. Mendoza arrived to eventually replace him. Friday's practice fight scrambled the script — and gave Mendoza a stage he wasn't supposed to have yet.

Elsewhere in Spartan Nation

Away from the Raiders' drama, Patriots punter Bryce Baringer is entering his fourth NFL season with a straightforward goal: consistency. Baringer remains the lone punter on New England's roster and has been working through camp focused on cleaning up the performance variance that has defined his early career. No fireworks, no sideline confrontations — just a Spartan quietly trying to hold down a job on a rebuilding team.

The Raiders story, though, is the one that matters this week. Two Michigan State alumni — separated by more than a decade of NFL experience — ended up at the center of the league's most-watched training camp moment. Cousins is back in the facility. Mendoza got his reps. And Kubiak is left managing a locker room whose fault lines just became very public, very fast.

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