The Las Vegas Raiders have raced out to an unexpectedly fast 3-1 start to the 2026 campaign, and in the blink of an eye, it appears they very well may wind up being a playoff contender in the AFC. Of all the surprises Las Vegas has benefited from, though, the success of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins may just be the biggest of the bunch.
Cousins was brought in to essentially be a bridge to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza, but instead, he has taken complete control of the team’s offense through four games. Initially, it seemed like only a matter of time until Mendoza would find his way onto the field, but now, this is clearly Cousins’ team, which led one anonymous NFL general manager to issue a bold prediction regarding the four-time Pro Bowler.
Raiders’ Success Depends on Kirk Cousins’ Play Under Center
Cousins was essentially left for dead after the Atlanta Falcons cut their losses and released him after the 2025 campaign. Ahead of the 2024 season, the Falcons signed Cousins for a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency, but after the team selected Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the writing was on the wall for him.
In his first season with Atlanta, Cousins struggled and eventually lost his job to Penix. He would have to fill in for Penix last season after he suffered a partially torn ACL midway through the year, but his numbers weren’t particularly impressive (166/269, 1,721 YDS, 10 TD, 5 INT).
Through four games this year, Cousins is looking like the Pro Bowl passer he was from earlier in his career (93/144, 1,026 YDS, 11 TD, 4 INT). It’s still early, and we have seen Cousins found down the stretch of the season before, but in the eyes of one GM, he is the key to determining just how successful this team will be in 2026.
“They’ll go as far as Cousins can take them,” the general manager said, per Jason La Canfora of casino.guru. “That’s the perfect system for him.”
Are Kirk Cousins and the Raiders a Real Playoff Contender?
It’s difficult to truly gauge what sort of team the Raiders are after seeing only four games action. The three teams they have beaten (the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and New Orleans Saints) have combined for just one total win so far this year, but Las Vegas nearly beat an undefeated Kansas City Chiefs team in Week 4.
The key to everything is Cousins, who has looked to be in complete control of new head coach Klint Kubiak’s offense early on this season. Another tough test looms for this group in Week 5 against the New England Patriots, but if Cousins keeps playing at the sort of level he’s been at through four games, it may end up being a bad idea to bet against Las Vegas in this one.
Anonymous NFL GM Issues Bold Kirk Cousins Prediction for Raiders