‘Would Make a Ton of Sense’ — NFL Insider Makes Feelings Clear on Kirk Cousins Trade Speculation As QB Injuries Pile Up
‘Would Make a Ton of Sense’ — NFL Insider Makes Feelings Clear on Kirk Cousins Trade Speculation As QB Injuries Pile Up
Tori Guthrie Sat, September 26, 2026 at 5:08 AM UTC
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‘Would Make a Ton of Sense’ — NFL Insider Makes Feelings Clear on Kirk Cousins Trade Speculation As QB Injuries Pile Up
NFL insider Tom Pelissero recently discussed potential trade candidates for teams looking for quarterback options, especially with injuries already affecting the position and more likely to arise throughout the season.
One name that unexpectedly came up was Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Raiders Could Have a Big Decision to Make With Kirk Cousins
Cousins appears to be back in form and playing good football, leading the Raiders to a 2-0 start with a big win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. Through two games, he has thrown for 413 yards and six total touchdowns while completing 67.8% of his attempts.
Cousins’ leadership and veteran presence could be valuable to teams in need of both. While the Raiders may have little interest in moving him right now, Pelissero believes the situation could become interesting if another team suffers a quarterback injury.
“The one [trade scenario] that will be really interesting is Kirk Cousins,” Pelissero said while appearing on “The Ringer.”
“He’s playing at a good level right now. He’s on sort of a one-year contract, but it actually has a tail on it where the Raiders have an exclusive window next March to either cut him or trade him or potentially pick up his option.”
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Pelissero went on to explain that the Raiders are likely to stick with Cousins as long as he continues playing well, but a strong trade offer could change the equation.
“They’re going to ride with Kirk as long as they’re alive or until his play takes a dip,” the analyst argued.
“But if you get that opportunity and someone offers you let’s say a third round pick for Kirk Cousins, I dont know if you can get that. But somebody gets hurt, and he’s available for not a whole lot of money, like that would make a ton of sense.”
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The Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza first overall in April and view him as their franchise quarterback. Naturally, that could lead to a scenario where they eventually move Cousins and hand the job to their young quarterback.
But there’s a major caveat to that scenario.
What if the Raiders are perfectly fine keeping Mendoza on the bench and allowing him to grow under the wings of a veteran like Cousins?
This has worked before. The Chiefs had Patrick Mahomes sit behind Alex Smith for a season before eventually taking over. The Packers took a similar approach with Jordan Love.
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If the Raiders are winning, playing well and happy with their quarterback room, there is little reason to rush Mendoza onto the field.
Cousins’ play has been more than serviceable so far. He ranks 13th in PFN QB Impact Score with a 77.7 grade through the opening two games.
So while his name may come up in trade conversations if another team suddenly needs a quarterback, the Raiders have their own decision to make. Do they move Cousins while his value is high, or keep him around and let Mendoza continue learning from a veteran?
If the Raiders keep winning, even with a tough schedule ahead, that decision becomes much more complicated.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Source: “AOL Sports”
