Kirk Cousins Off to Blistering Start as Raiders Surge to 2-0
Kirk Cousins is tied for the NFL lead with six passing touchdowns and is completing roughly 68 percent of his throws through two weeks, powering the Las Vegas Raiders to a 2-0 start and quieting doubts about the 38-year-old quarterback's viability as a starter. The veteran, who reunited with former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in Las Vegas, has the Raiders eyeing their second 3-0 start in the past 20 seasons as they prepare for a Week 3 road test against the New Orleans Saints.
Cousins' resurgence has been sharp enough that The Ringer NFL insider Tom Pelissero called him "the one that'll be really interesting" in a Sept. 25 video segment breaking down the quarterback market ahead of the trade deadline. Pelissero noted that while the Raiders are winning, Cousins' contract structure gives Las Vegas unusual flexibility — and makes him a name to watch if a contender loses its starter.
"He's playing at a good level right now," Pelissero said. "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. So they've got time to kind of play this thing out."
Cousins' contract includes a team-controlled option window in March 2027, meaning Las Vegas can defer a decision on his future well past the Nov. 3 trade deadline. That structure cuts both ways: it protects the Raiders from losing him for nothing, but it also means rival teams know they may have to pay a premium to pry him loose midseason.
Why the Timing Matters: A QB Market in Chaos
The Cousins chatter is not happening in a vacuum. A wave of early-season quarterback injuries has already reshaped the trade market, most notably with New York Giants rookie Jaxson Dart suffering a devastating torn MCL and torn meniscus that will sideline him indefinitely. The Giants are now among the teams most urgently searching for a bridge quarterback.
Pelissero laid out a three-name trade board on "The Bill Simmons Podcast": Minnesota's J.J. McCarthy, San Francisco's Mac Jones, and Cousins. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, has fallen out of favor with the Vikings and reportedly is not part of their long-term plans, making him the cheapest option. Jones, who has rebuilt his value as a 49ers backup, would cost significantly more — "That's gonna cost you," Pelissero said. Cousins sits in between: an experienced starter playing well, but one whose team is only renting his services.
For the Giants, the calculus is complicated by connections. McCarthy won a College Football Playoff national championship at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, whose brother John coaches the Giants. That familiarity could make McCarthy the more logical target for a New York team that wants upside on a rookie contract. But if the Giants believe they can compete now, Cousins offers the higher floor.
The Raiders' Dilemma: Ride the Hot Hand or Sell High?
Las Vegas is facing a genuinely difficult decision. The Raiders have not been relevant in years, and a 2-0 start has energized owner Mark Davis and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Pelissero framed the tension bluntly: if the Raiders are 3-1 or 4-2 near the deadline, can they really trade the quarterback who made them competitive?
"They're gonna ride with Kirk as long as they're alive or until his play takes a dip," Pelissero said. "But if you get that opportunity and someone offers you, let's say, a third-round pick for Kirk Cousins, I don't know if you can get that, but somebody gets hurt and he's available for not a whole lot of money, that would make a ton of sense. So that'll be one that'll be dictated by circumstances, but I would absolutely not rule out the possibility of Kirk Cousins being traded during the season."
The schedule will test that resolve quickly. After the Saints, Las Vegas faces Kansas City, New England, Buffalo, and the Los Angeles Rams — a brutal stretch that could either cement the Raiders as a playoff contender or send them tumbling back to earth. If the losses mount, a third-round pick for a 38-year-old quarterback on an expiring deal becomes far more attractive.
A Prove-It Game Against Shough and the Saints
Sunday's matchup in New Orleans carries extra weight for both quarterbacks. Saints starter Tyler Shough is 0-2 against Cousins in his career, including a 24-10 loss to Cousins' Atlanta Falcons last season, even though Shough statistically outperformed him down the stretch. Shough now leads the NFL with 662 passing yards through two weeks, while Cousins tops the league in touchdowns.
"Cousins seems to have Shough's number even when he gets outperformed by the younger quarterback," observed one analysis of the matchup. For Shough, breaking that streak would validate his growth from promising rookie to established franchise quarterback. For Cousins, a win would push the Raiders to 3-0 — and make the trade speculation even more uncomfortable for a fan base suddenly dreaming of January football.
Cousins the Personality: From Meagan Good to In-N-Out
Off the field, Raiders fans are also getting to know the person behind the helmet. In a team-produced video, Cousins revealed his childhood celebrity crush: actress Meagan Good, known for "Eve's Bayou," "Roll Bounce," and "Stomp the Yard."
"Absolute left field one for you," Cousins said. "I bet Raiders fans wouldn't guess it in 10 years."
Fans embraced the revelation. "Anyone who crushed on Megan Good at some point in life is a person of high character," one commenter wrote. Another added, "Kirk absolutely knows ball." Between his In-N-Out obsession, his wife Julie Hampton Cousins, and now his celebrity crush, the veteran is quickly becoming a favorite in Sin City — which only complicates the idea of trading him.
What This Changes: A League Where QBs Are Always for Sale
The Cousins situation reflects a broader NFL reality: the quarterback trade market never truly closes. Injuries to Dart and others have turned established starters into assets, and teams with cap flexibility and a veteran under center suddenly hold leverage. Cousins' contract — a one-year deal with a team option — is precisely the kind of structure that makes midseason trades possible.
For now, the Raiders control their own story. If they keep winning, Cousins stays. If they fade, the phone lines open. Either way, the next month will determine whether Kirk Cousins is remembered in Las Vegas as the quarterback who made the Raiders relevant again — or the one who fetched a draft pick on the way out.
As Pelissero put it, "I would absolutely not rule out the possibility of Kirk Cousins being traded during the season." In a league defined by quarterback scarcity, that possibility alone is enough to keep every contender's general manager watching Las Vegas closely.
One thing is certain: for the first time in years, the Raiders matter, and Kirk Cousins is the reason.
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