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Silver And Black Pride fantasy football takes on Kirk Cousins
Every source-backed article insight STACKED has extracted from Silver And Black Pride about Kirk Cousins.
26
Insights
11
Positive
4
Negative
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All Silver And Black Pride insights about Kirk Cousins
NegativeDepth ChartAug 23, 2026
QB took all first-team reps in padded practice, signaling the Raiders are leaning heavily toward making him the Week 1 starter over backup Fernando Mendoza.NegativeRoleAug 20, 2026
Kirk Cousins is the subject of profiling by The Athletic regarding his objectives and plan for accomplishing his goals with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026.NegativeProjectionAug 19, 2026
Cousins was great in one series against Arizona and has had a strong camp. However, he struggled some in a joint practice against the Texans on Tuesday, so he may get more work in the Raiders-Texans preseason game. Cousins, who turns 38 today, likely won't play in the final preseason game against San Francisco next week.PositiveRoleAug 19, 2026
New expected starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026. Last season with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins was sacked on 12.7% of his quarterback pressures, the seventh-best rate in the NFL according to NFL the source Warren Sharp. This represents a significant improvement over predecessor Geno Smith, who was sacked on 28.1% of his pressures (fourth-worst in the NFL), suggesting Cousins' sack avoidance ability could help improve the Raiders' struggling offensive line performance and overall offensive efficiency.PositiveRoleAug 18, 2026
Cousins has secured the starting QB role for the Raiders in Week 1 against Miami on September 13, 2026, and is expected to remain the starter for much or all of the 2026 season. He has looked great in training camp and the first preseason game, with coach Klint Kubiak stating the starting gig is Cousins' to lose.NegativeProjectionAug 18, 2026
Expected starter Kirk Cousins threw a Pick 6 during the joint practice against Houston, indicating performance struggles alongside the rest of the Raiders' offense in the practice session.NegativeDepth ChartAug 18, 2026
Kirk Cousins is competing with Fernando Mendoza for the Raiders starting quarterback position; both had good showings against the Cardinals in Week 1 and will face stiff competition against the Texans' dominant defense in joint practice, with each rep critical and consistency king in the battle.NegativeDepth ChartAug 14, 2026
While not a pending free agent, Kirk Cousins is fully expected to be released by the Raiders next year, creating significant cap relief and roster turnover at the quarterback position.PositiveProjectionAug 14, 2026
Starting quarterback led the first-team offense on the opening drive, going 5 of 6 passing for 50 yards on a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. The source notes 'Cousins has been efficient all training camp and it translated to the preseason,' with the first-team offense going three-for-three on third down on the drive.NegativeRoleAug 12, 2026
Cousins is expected to get the preseason opener, but there is a real quarterback battle with Fernando Mendoza that is not etched in stone. Mendoza's development and performance in preseason could challenge Cousins' starting role.NegativeRoleAug 12, 2026
Cousins is the starter at quarterback for the Raiders, positioned as the bridge-gap starter while Fernando Mendoza is the franchise's future behind center.NegativeRoleAug 12, 2026
The extent of Kirk Cousins' preseason playing time remains uncertain as the source notes it remains to be seen how much he will play individually in the preseason.NegativeRoleAug 10, 2026
37-year-old veteran (turns 38 on Aug. 19) serving as QB1 and bridge quarterback to Mendoza; familiarity with head coach Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko, and offensive line coach Rick Dennison helps expedite learning curve; early returns are promising; takes over 90 percent of practice reps due to QB1 tax under new CBA; expected to push both backup quarterbacks and serve as learning resource for Mendoza and O'Connell.NegativeDepth ChartAug 10, 2026
Cousins is the current starter for the Raiders, but his Week 1 starting role is no longer a certainty. If Fernando Mendoza continues his strong performance trajectory in training camp, the assumption of Cousins being the starter in Week 1 could change, putting his depth chart position at risk.PositiveRoleAug 8, 2026
Kirk Cousins is the franchise quarterback anchoring the Raiders' 2026 roster improvement. The source notes that free agency and draft results have fans hyped about the future, especially with Cousins on the roster as a franchise-level signal-caller. This context positions Cousins as central to the team's turnaround narrative, with 78% of Raiders fans confident the team can exceed the 6.5 win total after a 3-14 season.NegativeInjuryAug 8, 2026
Held out of team sessions (11-on-11) and drills due to an incident on Friday; directly impacts starting QB position and Week 1 availability. The absence allowed Fernando Mendoza to get first-team reps and creep up on the starting QB position.NegativeProjectionAug 8, 2026
If Cousins starts all 17 games and the Raiders compete for a playoff spot in week 17, the source projects season stats similar to his 2020 Vikings season under Klint Kubiak: approximately 346 completions on 516 attempts (67.6%), 4,265 yards, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. However, the source notes the 35 TD figure is Cousins' career high and he hasn't thrown 500+ passes since 2022, so realistic expectations are closer to 25-30 touchdowns and under 4,000 yards for a fringe playoff team.NegativeRoleAug 8, 2026
Cousins threw two interceptions before bouncing back with a good two-minute drill period during Friday's practice; he engaged in an altercation with Maxx Crosby late in the session after Crosby tipped a pass intended for rookie Malik Benson, with Cousins apparently defending his teammates from Crosby's physical play.NegativeRoleAug 3, 2026
Cousins gained 4 pounds (205 to 209) during 2026 training camp; weight gain may reflect conditioning adjustments but is modest relative to typical QB fluctuations.PositiveRoleAug 2, 2026
Cousins should have a strong voice in tailoring game plans around his strengths given his familiarity with Kubiak and his veteran status. The source notes he excels at executing play-action fakes, spinning around, reading the field, and locating open windows downfield due to his quick pre-snap coverage processing. His lack of mobility and age mean off-script improvisation is dampened, so pocket protection from the offensive line must be on point.PositiveProjectionAug 2, 2026
Cousins enters 2026 as the Raiders' definitive starting QB at age 37, with 2025 stats of 166-of-269 (61.7% completion), 1,721 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs over 8 starts. The source emphasizes his fit in Kubiak's under-center, play-action-centric offense, noting his 14-year history of thriving with direct snaps, strong pre-snap reading ability, and handoff-fake deception. Cousins' intelligence and arm strength are highlighted as essential to executing Kubiak's run-pass balance scheme and getting elite tight end Brock Bowers the ball frequently.PositiveProjectionJul 31, 2026
Kirk Cousins is tied for seventh all-time in NFL history with seven seasons of 95+ passer rating, placing him alongside all-time greats like Steve Young (7 seasons), Tom Brady (12 seasons), Aaron Rodgers (12 seasons), and Drew Brees (14 seasons). Cousins last achieved a 95+ rating in 2023 with Minnesota. During 2019–2021 under new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak (who was either Cousins' quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator), Cousins posted passer ratings of at least 103.1 in all three seasons, suggesting potential for sustained efficiency under Kubiak's system.PositiveRoleJul 31, 2026
Kirk Cousins is currently expected to begin the 2026 season as the Las Vegas Raiders' starter while the team grooms rookie No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza. At 38 years old, Cousins brings veteran consistency to the position.PositiveRoleJul 24, 2026
Veteran quarterback competing against rookie Fernando Mendoza for the starting role; media speculation suggests the Raiders are leaning toward making Cousins the starter, indicating he is the favored candidate in the quarterback competition.PositiveRoleJul 23, 2026
Kirk Cousins, signed by the Raiders this offseason at age 37 (turning 38 next month), is expected to play the entire 2026 season while No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza remains on the bench as a rookie learning the system.PositiveRoleJul 22, 2026
The Raiders signed Cousins this offseason and plan to have him play for the entire 2026 season as the starter ahead of rookie Fernando Mendoza. Cousins previously played under head coach Klint Kubiak for three successful seasons in Minnesota. If Cousins plays well and stays healthy, there will be no reason to move away from him.