At 37-years-old, former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is nearing the end of his time in the NFL. But before that happens, Cousins is trying to help the Las Vegas Raiders get things heading back in the right direction after winning just seven of 34 games in their last two seasons.
The veteran signal-caller and the Raiders are currently in the middle of OTAs, and recently, new Las Vegas head coach (and former Minnesota offensive coordinator) Klint Kubiak shared what he's enjoyed from the former Vikings quarterback so far this offseason.
"He’s a professional. He’s played a lot of football. He’s a leader that we’re counting on right now. You see that side of him when it gets competitive. That was fun to get that ‘move the ball’ period and get guys off of scripts and see how they respond. You see the fire come out, and that’s what I want from our guys."
Former Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins on track to start for Las Vegas Raiders in 2026
Last month, the Raiders used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Despite the urge that comes from drafting a quarterback so high, Las Vegas has been easing Mendoza into its offense so far.
According to The Athletic's Sam Warren, Cousins took all of the reps with the first-team offense during the Raiders' OTA practice on Wednesday, and this will likely continue to do the same throughout the rest of the offseason.
Signs appear to be pointing to the former Minnesota quarterback opening up the 2026 season as Las Vegas's starting signal-caller, especially after Kubiak said back in March that starting a rookie quarterback on Day 1 isn't ideal.
Does this mean that the Raiders aren't open to inserting Mendoza into the starting lineup at all next season? Not necessarily, but, of course, it all just depends on how well Cousins is able to run the offense in his first year with Las Vegas.
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