Things have been rocky for Kirk Cousins over the past few years. The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback tore his Achilles tendon before joining the Atlanta Falcons, where he was placed in an awkward situation when they drafted Michael Penix in the first round.
Cousins got a new opportunity when he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. However, the AFC West team used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Fernando Mendoza, creating another tough situation for the 37-year-old quarterback.
Now, the former Vikings passer is in a situation where the Raiders need him to hold down the fort until the rookie is ready to take over. However, things might not be that simple for Las Vegas when looking at the quarterback room for the upcoming season.
The Las Vegas Raiders might be hoping for some magic from former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins during the 2026 NFL season.
On Friday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared a conversation from the NFL Network Program The Insiders in which the experts discussed the Raiders' quarterback situation. That conversation heavily featured former Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Kirk Cousins.
Rapoport says that the Raiders may have used the No. 1 overall pick on Mendoza, but he wonders how much of a quarterback competition is going on in Vegas. His description of how he believes they want the season to go is very interesting.
"It certainly seems like the way they are planning, the way they are hoping for it all to be, is for Kirk Cousins to be the starter at the beginning of the season, throughout the season, and at the end of the season. Because that means he is playing well. It means he has stayed healthy. And it means Fernando Mendoza can just sit there and learn. And if that is the way it goes for the Raiders, that is absolutely fine."
It makes a lot of sense not to rush Mendoza into the starting lineup for the Raiders. When there is an established veteran like Kirk Cousins to hold down the spot until he is ready, Las Vegas has to hope that the former Vikings quarterback still has gas left in the tank and can perform at a high level until their rookie is ready for action.
Ideally, it would be great for Mendoza to take the entire 2026 NFL season to learn and develop while acclimating to the speed of the NFL. While Kirk Cousins was a consistent player with the Vikings, his time with the Falcons was hit-or-miss.
Can the veteran passer provide stability for the Raiders this year?
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