Kirk Cousins shifted his focus away from a turbulent week at Las Vegas Raiders training camp by attending a Backstreet Boys concert at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The quarterback shared photos on Instagram Stories on Sunday featuring himself and his wife, Julie Hampton, posing backstage with band members AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell. The couple appeared in matching all-white outfits alongside the performers, who were also dressed in white, futuristic stage attire. Another clip posted to his account captured the concert experience from the crowd, highlighting the venue's massive interior screen.
This outing took place three days after a physical confrontation between Cousins and defensive end Maxx Crosby during a Friday practice session. The incident occurred after Crosby tipped a pass from Cousins for the second time and subsequently clipped the quarterback's throwing arm. Cousins responded by charging at Crosby and grabbing his jersey, leading to a brief scuffle that was broken up by teammates before any punches were landed. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak addressed the situation by benching both players for the following Saturday session. Kubiak emphasized that the team maintains clear expectations regarding professional conduct during training camp, noting that while the two are team leaders, the behavior violated those standards. During the time Cousins was sidelined, the team’s No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza, received his first repetitions with the starting offense. Both Cousins and Crosby returned to team activities at the start of the following week.
The quarterback's connection to the Backstreet Boys originated during the Battle for Vegas charity softball game held in June, which featured a mix of Raiders players, Vegas Golden Knights, and other celebrities. During that event, Nick Carter—a known Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan—joked about Cousins' history of success against his favorite team. Carter recalled Cousins' habit of asking, "You like that?" after defeating the Buccaneers, a catchphrase that dates back to a 2015 comeback victory where Cousins led Washington to a win after trailing 24-0. Across four career games against the Buccaneers, Cousins recorded 1,502 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and two interceptions, completing 73.1% of his passes.
