The Dan Patrick Show: C&R – Cousins & Fernando, One Jersey Guys

Air Date: April 3, 2026
Hosts: Covino & Rich (C&R), with Dan Beyer, Danny G, Sam, and guest interactions
Main Themes: Kirk Cousins to the Raiders & Quarterback Mentorship, the Outdated “One Jersey Guy” Athlete, and MLB/Early Season Storylines

Episode Overview

On this lively Thursday episode—kicking off Easter weekend—Covino & Rich (C&R) break down two major themes:

1. The Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to bring in veteran QB Kirk Cousins as a mentor to top draft pick Fernando Mendoza, exploring the mentorship dynamic, leadership, and QB room culture.
2. The rarity and value of “one jersey guys” in sports—athletes who spend their entire career on a single team—with a nostalgic baseball focus.

As always, the show mixes informed sports talk with humor, throwbacks, and light-hearted banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Raiders Sign Kirk Cousins – The Mentorship Dynamic

[02:33–19:42]

• Cousins to Raiders as a “Bridge QB” (02:33–04:36)

  • C&R react to the Raiders acquiring Kirk Cousins (financials: Falcons pick up $8.7M, Raiders owe $1.3M, with Cousins guaranteed $10M next year).
  • Covino: “Can’t think of a better mentor for Mendoza than Cousins if he’s willing… I think he is.”
  • The QB room’s “nice guy” factor—both Cousins and Mendoza portrayed as wholesome, grounded types.

• How Will the QB Battle Play Out? (05:03–07:35)

  • Dan Beyer notes Mendoza’s excellent Pro Day (“True leadership… very Peyton Manning-like” – Covino, 05:20).
  • Debate: Should Mendoza start immediately? Beyer thinks Mendoza will play in year one, even if Cousins starts.
  • Jason McIntyre vs. Colin Cowherd: Should rookies learn by playing or watching? Most agree Mendoza should learn behind Cousins initially, unless preseason performance is overwhelming.

• Role Acceptance and Fan Expectations (08:13–12:26)

  • AI Colin Cowherd (Rich’s impression, 07:51):
    “Week one, I’m starting Kirk Cousins. Protect the kid, stabilize the offense, and let Fernando Mendoza learn what pro football looks like when the bullets are live.”
  • The consensus: Cousins knows he’s a mentor, unless he plays out of his mind.
  • Rich: “The assignment’s clear—win some games if you can, but teach this young kid.”

• Raiders’ Team-Building and O-Line Health (10:09–10:50)

  • Discussion on how a healthy offensive line and new draft picks could impact both QBs’ success.
  • Covino: “Great situation for Mendoza… like what Mahomes had… perfect opportunity to grow and give fans something to root for.”

• Predictions: When Will Mendoza Play? (11:18–14:55)

  • Guessing which week Mendoza makes his debut (“Week 6,” says Rich, 11:28).
  • Comparison to Russell Wilson and the “waiting game for the rookie.”
  • Sam notes: “Cousins is at a point in his career where he’s likely not seen as a true threat or competitor for the job—he’s settling into the mentor phase.”

• Cousins’ Legacy – The Great Negotiator vs. Perennial Underappreciation (15:17–17:29)

  • Discussing Cousins’ unique career arc and earnings: “With this season’s earnings, he’s projected to surpass $341 million in his career.” (Dan Beyer, 16:45)
  • Sam: “His agent will be in the Hall of Fame before he is!”
  • Rich: “Never gets maybe enough credit that he deserves, yet was never primetime Kirk…”

• The Value of Mentoring (vs. Replacing) (19:07–20:23)

  • Covino: “It takes a big person to be a mentor. Not everyone wants to train their replacement.”
  • Past QBs’ reluctance to mentor: Brett Favre vs. Rodgers; Tannehill on Willis; Montana vs. Young.
  • Sam and Dan: Praise Cousins for possibly embracing this late-career mentor role.

Memorable Quotes

• [05:20] Covino: “Very Peyton Manning-like in his leadership.”
• [07:51] AI Colin (Rich): “Week one, I’m starting Kirk Cousins. Protect the kid, stabilize the offense…”
• [16:45] Dan Beyer: “With this season’s earnings, he’s projected to surpass $341 million.”
• [17:27] Sam: “He’s not going to be in the Hall of Fame anytime soon, but his agent will be.”

2. The “One Jersey Guy” – Does It Matter Anymore?

[30:09–35:17]

• Who’s Left in MLB as a One-Team Star? (30:09–35:17)

  • Covino: “Unfortunately, [one jersey guys] mean nothing anymore. I still give them a lot of credit… Call me old school.”
  • Current “one team” stalwarts:
    • Mike Trout (Angels, 16 years)
    • Jose Altuve (Astros, 16 years)
    • Salvador Perez (Royals, 15 years)
    • Byron Buxton (Twins, 12 years)
    • Aaron Judge (Yankees, 11 years)
    • Jose Ramirez (Cleveland, 14 years)
    • Aaron Nola (Phillies, 12 years)
    • Ian Happ (Cubs, 10 years)
  • Rare in modern sports—compared to past generations and even to corporate loyalty.
  • Rich: “Job-hopping used to be negative, now it’s standard—even in sports.”

• Old School vs. New School

  • Rich: “Think of a Cal Ripken, a Jeter, or Magic Johnson… so rare now.”
  • Judge nearly left for Giants but stayed, signaling long-term loyalty.
  • Dan Beyer points out Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s long-term contract as a possible future “one jersey” candidate.
  • Is loyalty foolish? Covino: “Any old school mentality, I give credit.”

3. Baseball Early Season Storylines and Miscellaneous Sports Talk

[26:27–30:39] & [40:21–41:13, scattered elsewhere]

• MLB: Sluggers Without Homers (26:45–27:28)

  • Noted early-season power outages from stars like Shohei Ohtani, Vlad Jr., Acuna, Matt Olson, Rafael Devers, and Francisco Lindor.
  • Covino and Rich spar over Jazz Chisholm’s power credentials vs. Lindor, Rich favoring Lindor; Covino argues for Chisholm’s upside.

• Lindor’s Costly Mistakes (28:44–30:06)

  • Rich and Covino debate which of Lindor’s recent mental mistakes was worse: “Not knowing the outs” (Covino: “That’s little league, inexcusable”), or “getting picked off first while daydreaming” (Sam calls the latter inexcusable).

4. Notable Light-hearted & Pop Culture Segments

• Show & Tell and Thursday Nostalgia (01:42, 24:01, 24:34, 39:04)

  • C&R tease a “show and tell” segment with audience engagement via YouTube chat, promising a prize for best guess.
  • Covino: “It’s not just a radio show. It’s an experience, a lifestyle.” (00:49)

• Old School When 50 Hits (41:13–43:25)

  • Announce the day’s throwback topic: Movie theater memories—first movies, recent ones, funny or awkward stories—celebrating the anniversary of LA’s first movie theater (April 3, 1902).
  • Banter about how movie-going and loyalty have changed; set-up for the next segment.

• Caliendo Recap & April Fools (08:54, 24:14–25:45)

  • Reflecting on guest Frank Caliendo’s impressions (“Every impression… we all rolled together,” Rich, 08:54) and a brief April Fools prank recap.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:33 | Raiders sign Kirk Cousins; mentoring Fernando Mendoza | | 05:20 | Mendoza’s Pro Day praised; Peyton Manning comparison | | 07:51 | AI Colin Cowherd “Pick the vet; protect the kid” | | 11:18 | Predicting when Mendoza gets snaps (Week 6?) | | 16:45 | Kirk Cousins’ $341 million career earnings | | 19:07 | What it means to be a mentor QB; legacy angle | | 30:09 | Debating the value of “one jersey guys” in MLB | | 33:05 | Loyalty in sports: Trout, Altuve, Perez, Judge, etc. | | 41:13 | “Old School When 50 Hits” preview: Movie theater memories |

Tone, Language, and Notable Humor

• Signature C&R banter: playful jabs, pop culture references, and producer shoutouts (“You can watch what you hear… watch Rich fiddling like he’s a great fiddler…” Covino, 00:54).
• Sarcastic exchanges, e.g., “Who am I, the lighting guy?” “Were you Christian Bale?” and ongoing ribbing about team loyalties (Mets vs. Yankees; Rich’s love/hate with Lindor).
• Covino on loyalty: “Call me old school. I’m an old fool. That’s so cool.” (30:39)
• Running “You like that?” (Cousins meme) jokes.
• Light metaphors: “Quarterbacks are like Furbies and Tickle-Me-Elmos… sometimes they’re hot, sometimes you get them for a pack of gum.” (03:26)

Memorable Quotes

• [05:20] Covino: “Very Peyton Manning-like in his leadership.”
• [07:51] AI Colin (Rich): “Week one, I’m starting Kirk Cousins. Protect the kid, stabilize the offense, and let Fernando Mendoza learn what pro football looks like when the bullets are live.”
• [16:45] Dan Beyer: “With this season’s earnings, he’s projected to surpass $341 million in his career.”
• [17:27] Sam: “He’s not going to be in the Hall of Fame anytime soon, but his agent will be.”
• [19:07] Covino: “It takes a big person to be a mentor… that could also be a part of his legacy that he may embrace.”
• [30:09] Covino: “[Being a one jersey guy] means nothing. Unfortunately, anymore… But to me, call me old school. I’m an old fool. That’s so cool.”
• [33:15] Covino (on modern loyalty): “Job-hopping used to be negative. Now young kids are told, you’re never going to get that raise you want unless you go to another company… so rare now.”

Summary/Takeaways

• The addition of Kirk Cousins to the Raiders is widely seen as a smart, transitional move wherein Cousins is both a stabilizer and a mentor for rookie Fernando Mendoza, with minimal financial risk.
• Most on the panel emphasize the importance of letting Mendoza learn from the bench, at least briefly, while acknowledging the NFL’s impatience for rookie QBs to play.
• Cousins’ career is lauded for its financial savvy and knack for extracting guaranteed contracts, though his appetite for proving value remains.
• “One jersey” career athletes are becoming extinct—a topic met with nostalgia, respect for loyalty, and a rhetorical question: in 2026, does this still matter?
• The episode blends analysis with camaraderie, teasing future topics (old movie memories) and incorporating sports humor throughout.

Next Up:
Stay tuned for nostalgia, movie theater stories, and more interactive old school fun as “old school when 50 hits” continues in the next segment.