Klint Kubiak Hints Kirk Cousins Will Start Week 1 After Strong Preseason Debut

Kirk Cousins will start the Raiders 2026 week one fixture against the Miami Dolphins.

Klint Kubiak Hints Kirk Cousins Will Start Week 1 After Strong Preseason Debut

Kirk Cousins (Image via IMAGO)

Kirk Cousins made his Las Vegas Raiders debut in a preseason friendly against the Arizona Cardinals. Cousins threw for 5 completions on 6 passing attempts for 50 yards and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Michael Meyer.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Hayden Winks, Cousins’ first preseason drive with Klint Kubiak had plays with 22, 21, 12, and 11 personnel. Kubiak let Cousins under center on several occasions. But the TD pass to Meyer came on shotgun.

After center Tyler Linderbaum snapped the ball, Cousins threw a quick pass to Meyer. After receiving the pass, the veteran tight end juked a Cardinals defender before scoring the Raiders’ first TD of the year. It was also Kirk Cousins’ first score in Silver and White.

Klint Kubiak praised the 37-year-old signal-caller for running the Raiders’ offense proficiently. Although Kubiak did not directly announce that Cousins is his starter in the regular season, the first-time head coach claimed it’s Cousins’ “job to lose.”

Kirk’s been getting the reps with the ones. I think he’s had a solid training camp and it’s his job to lose.

Kubiak said via Raiders reporter Levi Edwards

Fernando Mendoza replaced Cousins in the middle. The rookie first overall pick looked sharp from start to finish. The former Indiana man completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Jack Bech.

Even though Cousins is the leading man for now, Mendoza is the future of the Vegas franchise.

RELATED
Kirk Cousins Wants to Give Raiders Fans a Reason to Celebrate

Kirk Cousins reconnected with a former acquaintance at the Raiders

Cousins began his career with the Washington Commanders. However, the Raiders are his third club in four years.

Klint Kubiak Hints Kirk Cousins Will Start Week 1 After Strong Preseason Debut
Kirk Cousins (Image via IMAGO)

After leaving the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons. Two years and 24 games later, Cousins was back on the road once more.

Earlier in the year, he signed with the Raiders. It wasn’t a random decision. In Vegas, he reunited with his former Vikings quarterback coach and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who had just been appointed the Raiders’ new head honcho.

I think it helps to kind of hit the ground running and have a shared history… any time you have continuity or shared history with coaches or players, it just helps you move faster and have built some trust. And so, I think that’s a positive.

Kirk Cousins told Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press

A brief history of Kirk Cousins’ NFL career

The Commanders drafted Cousins 102nd overall in 2012. Cousins had a passer rating of 93.7 with 16,206 yards, 99 touchdowns and 55 interceptions in 62 games.

Ahead of the 2018 season, he signed with the Vikings. He had a passer rating of 101.2 with 23,265 yards, 171 touchdowns and 55 interceptions in 88 games for the Vikings during his time in the NFC North. Cousins’ only playoff win came while playing for the Vikings in 2019.

In 2024, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract. He lost the QB1 job to Michael Penix Jr. after just 14 games into his Falcons career. However, he left Atlanta on a high note by winning four straight games. In April 2026, Cousins signed a five-year contract worth up to $172 million, $20 million of which is fully guaranteed.

Also Read: