The Las Vegas Raiders are placing their bets on veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, but how many games will he actually start? Let’s see what Raider Nation thinks.
Our recent poll on X recently cut to the chase, and honestly, it’s the right question to be asking. As expected, the responses from Raider Nation were all over the place, which is to be expected. Check it out down below.
Kirk Cousins will end up starting ___ games for the Raiders this upcoming season.
— RaiderRamble.com™ (@TheRaiderRamble) April 4, 2026
Kirk Cousins might be the perfect bridge QB to the Raiders’ future…
The Raiders signed Cousins to a deal with $20 million fully guaranteed in 2026, with a club option that could push the total value to $172 million over five years. That’s a lot of money. But how many games does he actually start? That’s a whole separate conversation, one that Raiders are having.
Las Vegas is widely expected to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, and the front office has made its philosophy pretty clear. Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek have both said they don’t believe in throwing young quarterbacks into the fire right away, but rookies do eventually get their shot.
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Cousins signed with Las Vegas on April 6, 2026, stepping into a bridge role from Day 1. If Mendoza sits the whole year, Cousins could start all 17 games. If the rookie is ready sooner than expected, it could be just a handful.
Cousins himself said he shouldn’t be playing if he’s not the best quarterback on the roster, which tells you he already knows what this situation is.
Somewhere between 6 and 14 starts seems reasonable. Now, we want to hear from you, Raider Nation! Share your thoughts in the comments below!
*Top Photo: David Becker/Getty Images