Kirk Cousins, 37, is already making headlines for more than football. After the Las Vegas Raiders signed him on April 6 and selected Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft about three weeks later, Cousins took pa
When Kirk Cousins says he’s never seen “Love Island,” he doesn’t sound smug about it. He sounds genuinely baffled—smoothie in hand, trying to translate a reality dating format that has swallowed young audiences for years.
The moment landed in a video posted Monday on Instagram. titled “30 seconds of Kirk Cousins trying to understand ‘Love Island.’” It was filmed as part of the Las Vegas Raiders’ orbit around this coming season. right alongside the franchise’s new quarterback experiment featuring Cousins and Fernando Mendoza.
Cousins, 37, is fresh off being released by the Atlanta Falcons before the Raiders signed him on April 6. Roughly three weeks after that. Las Vegas drafted Mendoza—fresh off leading Indiana to the national title and coming off a Heisman-winning season—with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The question hanging over everything now is what happens on the field: who will start Week 1. Cousins or Mendoza. and whether the Raiders can be good next season. What’s clearly underway. though. is a more immediate campaign: getting the two quarterbacks—so different in age. but matched in spotlight—into the same story.
That story has already spilled into entertainment.
In the Raiders’ schedule release video. Cousins and Mendoza “co-starred” in the same way the clip was described. with “Kirko Chainz” and “The Nandolorian” credited in the production’s tone. The video was filmed in the image of “Step Brothers,” and it wasn’t portrayed as a one-time pairing. In Monday’s Instagram post. Cousins sits with Mendoza as they attempt to grasp the premise of “Love Island. ” which Cousins calls “a reality show” while trying to work out the rules.
“What is the premise of the reality show?” Cousins asks, still trying to process what he’s looking at.
Mendoza jumps in with a practical, earnest pitch. “How do you win ‘Love Island’? Just find true love or something?” he says, as Cousins confirms he has never seen the global phenomenon.
To understand why this clip is such a perfect mismatch—football brains colliding with a TV format designed for constant confessionals—you have to know what “Love Island” actually is. The series premiered in the UK in July 2015. and its success spawned Australian and United States spinoffs that premiered in 2018 and 2019. respectively.
The show flipped the reality dating genre on its head by placing a “horde of beautiful young adults” in a villa while cameras film constantly. The format runs on challenges and temptations. with drama that can turn loud fast—and. at the same time. a surprising amount of legitimate romance. Every week ends with a recoupling, and unselected singles are kicked off the island. That cycle continues for six to eight weeks until the general public votes for the winning couple.
There’s an obvious irony in Cousins needing memorization techniques for one kind of “computation. ” while Mendoza is trying to reduce the whole premise to something as straightforward as “find true love.” But for the Raiders. the humor is part of the point. Cousins. who detailed his “computation notebooks” on Netflix’s “Quarterback. ” is now being asked to solve a different kind of puzzle—one that plays out in public. on camera. and on a timetable that doesn’t care about playbooks.
And if Cousins can’t crack it yet, the schedule is still ticking. “Love Island USA” is set to premiere Tuesday on Peacock.
The NFL window moves faster than any reality show ever could: the Raiders are preparing for next season with a quarterback room built around both Cousins and Mendoza. Who starts Week 1 remains unknown. and whether Mendoza can develop into the franchise quarterback the Raiders have lacked for decades is an open question. But Monday’s video makes one thing clear: in this offseason. the Raiders aren’t just trying to build a quarterback plan—they’re trying to make the spotlight feel shared.
Kirk Cousins Fernando Mendoza Las Vegas Raiders 2026 NFL Draft Love Island USA Peacock schedule release video
Love Island is dumb but Kirk Cousins trying to get it somehow makes me like the Raiders again?
Wait so they drafted Fernando Mendoza then Kirk’s doing dating show stuff? That feels like a distraction lol. Also 30 seconds?? I need the full version 😂
This is probably just to sell jerseys. On the field start Week 1?? I’m thinking Mendoza starts cuz he’s the Heisman guy and everyone keeps acting like that means automatic wins. Love Island tryout or not, defense still gotta show up. I heard Cousins is washed too so idk.
I don’t even watch football but the headline made it sound like Kirk was actually on Love Island like… for real. Raiders schedule video Step Brothers style?? They’re really blending everything now. I guess dating show talk is better than them talking about playcalling.