Kirk Cousins Fantasy Stats

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said Kirk Cousins will take the field as the starting quarterback when the team opens practice Wednesday, according to Ryan McFadden. Kubiak said Cousins deserves the first opportunity because he has played "really good football," while adding that he wants No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell to push him. Cousins joined Las Vegas after completing 166 of 269 passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions across 10 games with Atlanta in 2025. The 37-year-old also has familiarity with Kubiak's system after the two worked together for three seasons in Minnesota. Mendoza remains the Raiders' long-term investment after being selected first overall in April, and Kubiak previously said Cousins, Mendoza, and O'Connell would all receive first-team opportunities during camp. Cousins enters the competition atop the depth chart and has the clearest immediate path to the Week 1 job, though Mendoza's presence limits his long-term security.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins is no stranger to competing with a first-round pick in his first season with a new team, though the comparisons to his 2024 campaign with the Falcons end just below surface level. The Falcons shocked the football world by selecting Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft weeks after signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal. In contrast, Fernando Mendoza was always going to wind up with the Raiders, even if his selection with the first overall pick was not made official until after Cousins had signed his two-year, $12.6 million bridge quarterback contract. With new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak preaching patience for Mendoza, Cousins is expected to start the season with the starting job and could be given plenty of leash in an offense that should show signs of improvement from a year ago. That said, the soon-to-be-38-year-old's per-game fantasy production has been on the decline for years, and little is expected of RotoBaller's QB33 in 2026.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins has made a 15-year career out of rising to the situation around him. Rarely has he shown an ability to truly elevate an offense, but with the right pieces around him, he's fully capable of managing the game and providing steady production that has frequently translated to fantasy success. With a deep group of pass-catchers in Washington's pass-heavy offense, he was able to turn in multiple top-six fantasy seasons, and while throwing to Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, he rarely fell outside the QB1 range. With the Achilles injury he suffered in 2023 further limiting what was never the most dynamic physical skill set, Cousins' reliance on a clean pocket and early separation from his receivers has only grown more apparent in recent years. Unfortunately, as he attempts to hold off first overall pick Fernando Mendoza for as long as possible in what could be his final starting job with the Raiders, the offense in Vegas features few pieces to get excited about outside of All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty. Cousins is well-positioned in a Klint Kubiak offense that just saw journeyman Sam Darnold finish as the QB13 a season ago, but without a weapon like Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the outside, and with the new face of the franchise already breathing down his neck, the soon-to-be 38-year-old does not project as a major fantasy contributor in 2026 and is RotoBaller's QB33.

Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is entering his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026. Cousins' production has fallen off considerably in recent years, and he finished 2025 with 1,721 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across 10 games (eight starts) for the Atlanta Falcons. The 37-year-old appears set to enter training camp as the nominal QB1 in Las Vegas. However, Cousins is highly unlikely to hold the starting job for the Raiders all season long after the team's selection of quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Even if Cousins opens 2026 under center for Las Vegas, he may struggle to put up fantasy-relevant production in an offense that is light on pass-catching talent outside of star tight end Brock Bowers. Cousins also averaged just 6.4 yards per pass attempt with the Falcons in 2025, his first season under seven yards per attempt since 2013. Dynasty managers should feel comfortable moving on from Cousins ahead of 2026.

The Las Vegas Raiders continue to ease quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL draft, into the offense this offseason, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. During the team period during Wednesday's OTA practice, veteran QB Kirk Cousins was the first signal-caller on the field, followed by Aidan O'Connell and then Mendoza. Head coach Klint Kubiak didn't give a specific timeline for when he would like to name a starting QB, and said the answer will reveal itself during training camp this summer. The expectation is that Cousins will begin the year as Vegas' starter, given his experience and familiarity with Kubiak's offense from their time together when Kubiak was the QB coach and offensive coordinator for three seasons with the Vikings from 2019 to 2021. Kubiak said Cousins is the "leader the team is counting on now." Cousins, 37, obviously isn't much of a dynasty asset, and in redraft fantasy leagues in 2026, it might only be a matter of time before Mendoza is given the starting job. Cousins might have familiarity with Kubiak's offense, but he won't have many weapons outside of running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers. In single-year leagues, RotoBaller has him ranked as the QB33.

After being released by the Atlanta Falcons in March, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a two-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. Cousins opened 2026 as the backup in Atlanta, but took over as the QB1 midseason and finished the year with 1,721 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions across 10 games (eight starts). Long term, Cousins projects as the backup in Las Vegas following the team's selection of quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, Cousins could open 2026 as the starter should the Raiders choose to bring Mendoza along slowly. Still, Cousins averaged just 6.4 yards per pass attempt in 2025 and is joining a Raiders offense that has serious questions in its pass-catcher group outside of star tight end Brock Bowers. Cousins could have some short-term fantasy value in two-quarterback leagues, but his dynasty value is fading as he enters his age-38 season.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins signed a two-year deal to serve as a bridge quarterback until first overall pick Fernando Mendoza is ready to take over. At the NFL's Annual League Meeting, new head coach Klint Kubiak shared his belief that a rookie quarterback should learn behind the scenes for as long as possible, and shortly thereafter, Cousins was brought in on a team-friendly contract. Kubiak also expressed a desire to split backfield carries before adding Mike Washington Jr. in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, so he appears to have a clear plan in his first year at the helm. The Raiders have made notable improvements to the offensive line and defense a year after earning the first overall pick by going 3-14, so Cousins could be provided ample leash to allow Mendoza to develop into an NFL professional. As a quarterback expected to start more than a handful of games in 2026, he could be drastically underpriced as RotoBaller's dynasty QB47, and how he looks to open the season could determine his future value should the Raiders allow him to hit free agency again in 2027 at the age of 38.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that the money that the Las Vegas Raiders gave veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins indicates that he "could or maybe should end up being the starting QB" to begin the 2026 regular season. Somehow, Cousins will be guaranteed $20 million in 2026, with almost half of the money being paid by the Atlanta Falcons, who released the 37-year-old at the start of the new league year. Even though the Raiders are expected to take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick at the end of April, Cousins is expected to be the team's Week 1 starter as they let Mendoza sit and learn early on in his first year in the NFL. The four-time Pro Bowler played in 24 games (22 starts) in his two years in Atlanta and completed 65% of his passes for 5,229 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. At best, he'll be a low-end QB2 option for those in superflex fantasy leagues in 2026, and his run as Vegas' starter could be short-lived, depending on his performance and Mendoza's development.

The Las Vegas Raiders have signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a contract that is essentially a one-year deal with $20 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The contract is technically for five years and $172 million, but the latter four years will be voided, such that Cousins gets $8.7 million from the Falcons this year, $1.3 million from the Raiders this year, and a $10 million roster bonus from the Raiders on the third day of the 2027 league year. The move is certainly an interesting one for the Raiders, who have the No. 1 pick and are projected to draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Head coach Klint Kubiak recently said that in an ideal world, every rookie quarterback would sit on the bench for a few weeks, learning from a veteran. The signing of Cousins indicates that perhaps the Raiders will let Cousins start Week 1 while mentoring Mendoza, before the rookie eventually takes over as the starter midseason. That makes both quarterbacks difficult to trust in redraft leagues. The good news is that both Cousins and Mendoza should be able to support strong fantasy campaigns from Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said that the team is "hopeful for a reunion" with veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but he also said that they have talked with free-agent QB Kirk Cousins and his agent as another possibility for the backup role in 2026, per Rams beat writer Stu Jackson. The 37-year-old Cousins is on the open market after the Atlanta Falcons officially released him at the start of the new league year earlier this month. He's biding his time for the right situation, which could come in Los Angeles if Jimmy G departs. As Cousins nears the end of his career, he won't have any fantasy football appeal unless an injury to a starter forces him into action again. If he were to sign with the Rams, he'd be sitting behind reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. The four-time Pro Bowler was benched in favor of Michael Penix Jr. in 2024 and then appeared in 10 games (eight starts) in 2025, throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions while going 5-3 as a starter down the stretch.