Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- An established veteran has emerged as the frontrunner for the starting quarterback role in a key NFC West rebuild this offseason.
- The team has adopted a measured approach with its top draft pick, prioritizing long-term development over immediate contributions.
- The veteran’s recent public comments about offseason urgency hint at a fresh start and renewed confidence after exits from three previous franchises.
Barring some surprise setback, it appears Kirk Cousins will be the Las Vegas Raiders' QB1 when the 2026 NFL season kicks off. Of course, it's not much of a surprise given the altered stance on approaching top rookie passers' debuts in recent years.
ESPN's Ryan McFadden reported Monday the organization has been "patient" with No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza's adjustment to the NFL, having him take the bulk of his snaps during OTAs and minicamp with the second- and third-stringers. It's the clearest indication yet that Cousins, who signed with Las Vegas in early April, is being groomed to handle the starting role — at least when the season begins.
"[Mendoza] has impressed many in the building with his work ethic, leadership qualities and ability to quickly find open targets for completions," McFadden wrote. "At the same time, he's had his fair share of growing pains, especially when playing under center, and mastering the footwork that comes with it."
With no need to rush Mendoza into the NFL gauntlet, Cousins can safely be penciled in as the Raiders' QB1 unless he were to suffer a significant injury. While not officially named as such, fans can go ahead and cross this QB battle off their lists of ones to watch as summer progresses.
Kirk Cousins slights Vikings, Commanders and Falcons in preparation to be Raiders starter
As Cousins has been putting in the offseason work to lead the Raiders into a new season, he's been turning a page on the latest chapter in his football career. While speaking with insider Rich Eisen on his podcast earlier in June, he subtly put down his previous employers' approaches to preparing him for a campaign.
"I told [Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak] after OTAs, ‘Coach, this is probably the most urgent and most productive OTAs I’ve ever been a part of.’ That starts with him as a head coach," Cousins explained. "He created a sense of urgency from day one, all the way through the 10-week program, and I thought we got a lot of work done. We’ve got a long ways to go, but we laid a good foundation."
While Cousins never named anyone, it's quite telling that the league's worst team at the beginning of a massive rebuild has more urgency and productiveness in the offseason than the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons — all teams that were playoff contenders (or at least competitive) most years Cousins started for them.
Cousins infamously had unceremonious departures from all three franchises, which painted a rather dim picture of his career (and somewhat of his character). If the 37-year-old is already being treated as starting material over the No. 1 overall pick, then perhaps he wasn't the problem at his previous homes.
We won't know for sure until Cousins takes the field in the silver and black as early as August for preseason action. The only scenario where the depth chart dramatically flips is if Mendoza demonstrates an exceedingly competent grasp on the offense and Cousins struggles in the non-meaningful games. Unlikely but still something to keep an eye on once Week 1 is in sight.
Add us as a preferred source on Google