Kirk Cousins will be the Las Vegas Raiders' starting quarterback for the team's Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, head coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday.
"He played really good football," Kubiak said, according to team reporter Levi Edwards. "I'm really happy with all three of our quarterbacks. Kirk's had a really good offseason, very good camp, and he's earned it."
Cousins beat out the top pick in the 2026 draft, Fernando Mendoza, for the job. Cousins suited up in two preseason games in August, throwing for 101 yards and a touchdown.
The 38-year-old signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $20-million contract in free agency after the Atlanta Falcons released him. He was projected as the Week 1 starter all offseason and took the majority of the first-team reps throughout training camp.
Cousins played in 10 games last season with eight starts, going 5-3 and throwing for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. Among 32 signal-callers with at least 250 pass attempts in 2025, Cousins ranked 27th in EPA/dropback and 29th in passer rating, according to TruMedia.
The last six quarterbacks drafted first overall started in Week 1. The Raiders maintained all offseason that they wanted Mendoza to sit Week 1 and learn behind the eventual starter.
"There's always early work, late work, more meetings, plenty of time on the field between drills with (quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan) and (offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko)," Kubiak said of Mendoza's development while backing up Cousins, according to The Athletic's Sam Warren.
"Every player that is not starting the first game, they're helping us on the look team. We're just trying to find every edge we can find to continue to get him better and his teammates better."
Cousins has started 167 games across his 14-year career with the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, and Falcons. He's made three Pro Bowls since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2012, and his 44,700 passing yards rank 19th on the league's all-time list.
