RADIO
Raiders Plan to Keep Kirk Cousins Through Trade Deadline
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins had drawn no trade inquiries as of this weekend, and the Raiders have no interest in dealing him ahead of Tuesday's deadline, according to Adam Schefter. The Raiders plan to keep Cousins as their starter until they believe Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick, is ready. Cousins threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in last week's 38-33 win over the New York Jets, which ended a four-game skid. He enters Sunday's game at San Francisco with 19 touchdown passes and five interceptions through eight games. Mendoza remains second on the Week 9 depth chart. All eight of his regular-season pass attempts came in his 10-snap debut against New England, when he completed six for 48 yards.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Kirk Cousins a Deep-League Option in Tough Week 9 Matchup
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins has been impressive this season, making Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers all the more intriguing. The veteran play-caller has the third-most passing yards (2,124) and second-most touchdowns (19) while throwing just five interceptions. In a tough Week 8 road matchup against the New York Jets, Cousins had a 73.1% completion rate while throwing for 294 yards and scoring three touchdowns in the air. He added a rushing touchdown to his tally as well, which was impressive given Cousins isn't a fan of running the ball himself. The 49ers pose a massive threat, allowing 210.3 passing yards per game but holding opposing offenses to just 19.9 points. The pressure will be turned up further now that Nick Bosa (calf) will return to the gridiron after missing five games. Cousins has shown he can battle tough defenses this season, but this Week 9 matchup could still give him a headache. RotoBaller lists Cousins at QB15, and he is a starting option for deep league formats given the tough matchup.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kirk Cousins Remains a Must-Add Despite Tough Upcoming Matchups
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 38-33 victory over the Jets. He also added his first rushing touchdown of the season. Through eight games, Cousins has thrown for 2,124 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, recording multiple touchdown passes in seven contests. His strong play has kept rookie Fernando Mendoza on the bench, although a future quarterback change remains possible. Cousins is rostered in roughly two-thirds of fantasy leagues across major platforms, making him a worthwhile addition despite upcoming matchups against San Francisco, Seattle, and Denver. RotoBaller ranks him QB14 for Week 9, making him a matchup-dependent starting option.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Raiders Feeling "No Pressure" to Start Fernando Mendoza
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is pleased with the coaching staff's plan to develop rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza and feels "absolutely no pressure whatsoever" to start the first overall pick in this year's draft, according to Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Today, there's a lot of pressure put on teams when they draft a guy No. 1 that you have to play him right away," Davis said. "That's why I think we were so fortunate to get Kirk Cousins as someone who could bridge the gap and let this young man learn a lot about what football is in the pros, the speed of the game, and the things that have to be done." Davis has been "blown away" by Mendoza's presence off the field while he sits behind Cousins and learns the intricacies of playing QB in the NFL. The Raiders are currently 4-4, and with Cousins playing really well under center, the Raiders are in no rush to bench him in favor of Mendoza. Just like it was before the start of the 2026 season, mostly all of Mendoza's fantasy value in his first year in the league is in dynasty/keeper leagues.
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal - Adam Hill
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal - Adam Hill
Kirk Cousins Continues Resurgent Campaign in Road Win
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 19 of 26 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 38-33 road win over the New York Jets. He added a fourth touchdown and three rushing yards on five carries. Cousins continued his torrid pace to finish out the unofficial first half of the campaign, notching his seventh multi-touchdown effort and his fourth hat trick. It marked his first four-touchdown performance since Week 8 of the 2024 season. The veteran has been excellent thus far, leading the league with 19 passing scores and ranking third in yards (2,124) through eight contests. Cousins has rebounded nicely from a poor showing to end 2025, as he's now eclipsed his touchdown total from the previous three seasons. For at least one more week, the 38-year-old will stave off talks of a transition to rookie signal caller Fernando Mendoza. Up next for Cousins and the Falcons is a road date with the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Raiders Plan to Start Kirk Cousins as Long as Possible
The Las Vegas Raiders will continue to play quarterback Kirk Cousins "as long as possible," according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. While there has been some chatter about the transition plan to No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza in recent weeks, it doesn't sound like the Raiders are ready to make a quarterback move. Vegas opened the season 3-0 but now finds itself in the midst of a four-game losing streak. However, Schefter reports that the Raiders don't believe Cousins is responsible for their latest woes. The 38-year-old has impressed to the tune of 1,877 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and just five interceptions this season, although some of those positive statistics did come during garbage time. Still, the veteran quarterback has the team in a decent spot ahead of the midway point of the 2026 season, and we should expect to see him leading the offense for the foreseeable future while Mendoza continues to develop and watch from the sideline.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Kirk Cousins a QB2 in Week 8 Matchup vs. Jets
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins remains a strong weekly fantasy play as his team prepares to face the host New York Jets. The 38-year-old completed just 59% of his passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Vegas' fourth straight defeat. Still, head coach Klint Kubiak maintains that Cousins is the Raiders' de facto starter, as the veteran leads the league with 16 touchdown passes. Plus, Cousins' 1,877 passing yards through seven games rank third behind only Rams QB Matthew Stafford and Packers starter Jordan Love. The Week 8 matchup will be interesting: the Jets' defense has allowed just 187.7 average passing yards per game, but it also allowed Drake Maye and Malik Willis to pass for over 200 yards over the last two games. Cousins is a solid QB2 for Week 8.
Source: FOX Sports
Source: FOX Sports
Kirk Cousins Remains a Strong Weekly Play
One of the most surprisingly consistent fantasy producers of the 2026 season, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins has reached at least 19.5 fantasy points in six of his last seven outings, including a usable Week 7 performance in which he threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Rams. While outside rumblings are growing louder about the eventual debut of first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, head coach Klint Kubiak has maintained that Cousins is his starting quarterback, and until that change is imminent, he remains a strong weekly play. Las Vegas faces the New York Jets in Week 8, fresh off a loss to the Dolphins in which quarterback Malik Willis posted one of the highest QBRs of the season on his way to a QB4 finish. While Cousins doesn't offer the same rushing floor, he still leads the NFL with 16 passing touchdowns, and his 1,877 passing yards through seven weeks trail only Matthew Stafford and Jordan Love.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Raiders Sticking With Kirk Cousins at QB Going into Week 8
After saying that the team would consider all options after their Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, including at the quarterback position, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said on Monday that "Kirk Cousins is our starting quarterback. There is no controversy. He is playing at a very high level," according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. After a surprising 3-0 start to the season, the Raiders have now lost four in a row as they head into a Week 8 battle on the road against the New York Jets. The 38-year-old Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, has so far held off first overall pick Fernando Mendoza by completing 62.6% of his pass attempts for 1,877 yards, a league-high 16 touchdown passes, and only five interceptions in seven starts. His 1,877 passing yards are third in the league. Vegas' ground game has done nothing to help Cousins, who does not exactly have a great cast of receivers to work with outside of tight end Brock Bowers. The Raiders expect Mendoza to "play at some point" in his rookie season, but Cousins will get at least one more start this weekend in a smash spot against the Jets. Cousins threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's loss to the Rams, and he has gone over 300 yards passing twice. He has multiple passing TDs in all but one of his seven games to this point.
Source: ESPN.com - Paul Gutierrez
Source: ESPN.com - Paul Gutierrez
Raiders Considering Naming Fernando Mendoza the Starter
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said the team is evaluating everything, including whether to make rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza the starter. Following their 35-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Kubiak was asked about a quarterback change and said the team needs to evaluate its personnel, scheme, and offensive struggles. In seven games, veteran Kirk Cousins has completed 161 of 257 passes for 1,877 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions. While Cousins has played solidly, the Raiders are on a four-game losing streak, and it's only a matter of time before they name the first-overall pick the starting quarterback. Fantasy managers should monitor the situation ahead of Week 8, as Mendoza could become a QB2 option in most formats if named the starter.
Source: Adam Schefter - ESPN
Source: Adam Schefter - ESPN
Raiders Won't Commit to Kirk Cousins for Week 8
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak fielded questions from the media about the potential of starting rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the near future, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic. Asked when he would start thinking about making a change at quarterback, Kubiak said, "I think at this point, we're thinking about everything. How to fix our problems, how to fix our issues in the red zone, in the third quarter. Personnel, scheme, we've got to talk about all of it." The first-year head coach didn't directly offer a timeline for the shift from Kirk Cousins to Mendoza, but he also didn't commit to Cousins starting in Week 8. Cousins led the Raiders to a 3-0 start, but the team has gone 0-4 in four games since then. Mendoza saw a little bit of action in Week 6 during garbage time against the Patriots, completing six of his eight pass attempts for 48 yards. Cousins hasn't looked terrible by any means, racking up 16 touchdowns and just five interceptions through seven games, but a quarterback change might inject life into the team amid a four-game losing streak. The plan all along was for Mendoza to spend around half the season learning behind Cousins, so it feels like a natural transition point could be coming soon. The Raiders will hit the road for a two-game road trip before returning home against the Seahawks on Nov. 15 in Week 10.
Source: Sam Warren
Source: Sam Warren
Kirk Cousins a QB2 in Tough Week 7 Matchup
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins should be up to the challenge in Week 7, even against a tough Los Angeles Rams defense. The veteran aired it out against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, completing 23 of 41 passes for 313 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a 33-30 loss. The Rams defense ranks second overall against the air game, allowing just 167 passing yards per game and eight passing TDs across six games, which will serve as a steep challenge for the seasoned quarterback. However, bye weeks for a handful of QB1s in Week 7 make Cousins' relative consistency attractive. He is a solid QB2 or streaming option this week.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kirk Cousins Airs it Out in Loss
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins put on a show during Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. The veteran quarterback took advantage of the Bills' shaky secondary as he threw for over 300 passing yards. Cousins completed 23-of-41 passing attempts for 313 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the loss. The veteran quarterback connected with wide receiver Tre Tucker for a 44-yard touchdown inside of two minutes left in the game, but sadly it wasn't enough. The Bills' offense was too strong this weekend, but Cousins still put on a show offensively. He should be a borderline QB1 for next week's matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kirk Cousins a Viable Streaming Option vs. Bills
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins has a bounce-back opportunity as his team welcomes the Buffalo Bills to Sin City in Week 6. Cousins was taken out in the fourth quarter of a blowout Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots so rookie Fernando Mendoza could get reps in, although he eclipsed 240 yards for a fourth straight game. Through five games, Cousins ranks eighth in the league in passing yards (1,269) and second in touchdowns (12), with just four interceptions on the year. The Bills' defense has struggled mightily against the pass, allowing 280.4 yards per game and 13 total touchdowns in the air. This opens the door for Vegas to have a pass-heavy game, and Cousins is a viable streaming option at home against an inconsistent defense.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kirk Cousins Remains a Viable Quarterback Streamer on the Waiver Wire
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins did not have his best game in Week 5, throwing for 243 yards and a touchdown in his team's 45-17 blowout loss to the New England Patriots. However, the veteran signal-caller is still off to a solid start to the 2026 season. Across five games, Cousins has completed 65.1% of his pass attempts for 1,269 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He's thrown for at least 240 passing yards in four consecutive games and tossed multiple touchdown passes in four out of five contests this year. The Raiders also play the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers in the next four weeks, which could mean Cousins finds himself in some pass-heavy game scripts. In most league formats, Cousins remains a potential quarterback streamer for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
