Will Kirk Cousins Start Week 1 for the Raiders?

By Shane Hallam | Updated on Thu, Apr 2 2026 1:46 PM UTC

QB Kirk Cousins agreed to a contract with the Las Vegas Raiders per his agent. With only QB Aidan O'Connell currently on the roster, the Raiders plan to draft QB Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. But, HC Klint Kubiak expressed interest in signing a veteran QB to not force Mendoza into the lineup for Week 1. Kubiak coached Cousins for three seasons in Minnesota, so the fit should be easy into Kubiak's offense. Cousins appears to be the perfect fit to start the season and let Mendoza ease into the NFL. Cousins should be the favorite to start Week 1.

What They're Saying

Mike McCartney of Vayner Sports: "Congrats Kirk Cousins agreeing to a contract with the Raiders"

Adam Schefter of ESPN: "Raiders HC Klint Kubiak coached Kirk Cousins for three seasons in Minnesota. Now they reunite in Las Vegas."

2026 Fantasy Football Impact

Cousins started eight games for the Atlanta Falcons last season, with the team going 5-3 in those starts.

Cousins went 166 of 269, throwing for 1,721 yards with 10 TDs and 5 INTs. He put up respectable numbers, given the situation, and showed his best QB play since leaving the Vikings.

Kubiak worked as the QB Coach with Cousins in Minnesota in 2019-2020 and then served as OC in 2021. That should make for a natural fit for Cousins.

There won't be much redraft appeal with Cousins. Mendoza's likely to take over at some point during the season, along with the lack of WR options, makes Cousins not worth drafting.

Dynasty Impact

Dynasty Managers drafting Mendoza and hoping for immediate dividends may be disappointed. The Raiders appear to be taking a long-term approach with Mendoza and won't rush him into the lineup.

He will likely start at some point during the season, but the Raiders can stick with Cousins as long as they need to, with little expectation for wins in 2025.

Other Winners & Losers

Brock Bowers should be a winner overall. Currently being drafted as the TE2 in redraft, he may have a better QB situation than TE Trey McBride in Arizona. Cousins and then Mendoza provide an opportunity for more consistent production than Jacoby Brissett in Arizona. It could make Bowers a value, especially if the Raiders WR room remains barren.

Shane Hallam, Writer

Shane has over 20 years of experience creating content and playing every fantasy football format, including redraft, dynasty, devy, C2C, IDP, CFF, and more. He is a multi-year winner of $500 dynasty leagues on the FFPC and a King's Classic Champion. Shane utilizes deep film and scheme study to enhance his fantasy performance. He led the industry in 2024 preseason Kicker Rankings and ranked second in preseason QB Rankings. He also ranked eighth in preseason IDP rankings.