Kirk Cousins appears to be on his way back to being recognized as the top quarterback in the NFL.
The seasoned quarterback, now in his 14th NFL season, is favored at -250 on DraftKings to secure a starting position over 2026’s No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, in Week 1.
Cousins thinks he has about a 67% chance of landing the starting job after training camp.
On the flip side, Mendoza’s odds are at +205. It’s worth noting that he would be the first No. 1 overall pick since Baker Mayfield in 2018 to not start on Opening Day.
In fact, all six prior quarterbacks taken at that spot—like Cam Ward and Caleb Williams—have been starters right from the get-go.
The Raiders signed Cousins to a one-year, $20 million deal as an unrestricted free agent back in April. There’s also a two-year, $80 million team option that could potentially bring the total contract value to $172 million over five years.
Having spent three years with the Vikings, he’s already familiar with the offense designed by new head coach Clint Kubiak, who was previously the quarterbacks coach and stepped up as offensive coordinator in 2021.
Kubiak commented, “We expect our players to perform well. There’s been a lot of talk about our quarterback competition, but they’re facing off against the defense daily. While Kirk and Aidan [O’Connell] are in the mix, Fernando will also get plenty of reps. We still have a ways to go until the season kicks off in September.”
Cousins, at 37, hasn’t had the best luck with injuries, particularly since he suffered an Achilles tendon injury in 2023. Last season, he started 10 games for the Falcons after Michael Penix Jr. went down with an ACL injury, ending up with the lowest completion percentage of his career at 61.7%, along with a 10-5 touchdown-interception ratio and a disappointing 47.6 QBR.
In 2024, he led the league in interceptions.
Since Derek Carr’s exit, the Raiders have cycled through three starting QBs in Week 1: Jimmy Garoppolo in 2023, Gardner Minshew in 2024, and Geno Smith in 2025. Cumulatively, these changes have resulted in a record of 7 wins versus 23 losses for the team, with 35 touchdown passes against 36 interceptions.
Mendoza, who guided Indiana to a national championship with a perfect 16-0 season, accumulated 3,535 passing yards and 41 touchdowns, thus elevating his stock to the No. 1 overall pick in 2025.
While Cousins might offer the Raiders a higher long-term potential, his experience is invaluable as a steadying influence until Mendoza is ready to take the plunge into the NFL.
