Kirk Cousins has secured the starting quarterback position for the Las Vegas Raiders following an unexpected 3-0 start to the 2026 NFL season.
The strong opening has delayed the highly anticipated debut of rookie top draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders, coming off a league-worst finish in 2025, selected Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, head coach Klint Kubiak handed the starting role to the 38-year-old Cousins, who signed during the offseason after 15 years in the league.
Cousins made history by becoming the first player in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes in each of his first three games with a new team.
Through three weeks, he leads the league with nine passing touchdowns following wins over the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and New Orleans Saints.
Advanced metrics highlight Cousins' efficiency, placing him tenth in expected points per play at 15.47 and tenth in on-target pass percentage at 77.9 percent.
He also ranks 11th in intended air yards with 760, disproving early concerns about his downfield arm strength despite his limited athletic mobility.
Former NFL quarterback Russell Wilson offered high praise for the veteran's quick resurgence in Las Vegas on CBS Sports' 'Set, Hut!'
program.
"Kirk has gone through a lot in recent years and has handled everything very well.
He has responded in a great way, and that is what this game is about: keeping moving forward and having that determination," Wilson said.
The former Pro Bowler expanded on his projection for the veteran signal-caller's season prospects.
"Could Kirk Cousins win Comeback Player of the Year? I'm saying it right now: I think Kirk Cousins wins that award," Wilson said.
While fans anticipated Mendoza's early entrance, analysts note that sitting a rookie first-overall pick remains rare, with Carson Palmer in 2003 being the last such quarterback not to play a rookie snap.
ESPN analyst Dan Graziano addressed the timeline surrounding the rookie's eventual regular-season action.
"This is a really fun story, but do you really think it will last? The Raiders' next four opponents are the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, and Rams," Graziano wrote.
Graziano emphasized that while the young passer's opportunity remains inevitable, current circumstances favor patience.
"Las Vegas could end up being one of the surprise teams of this season, and the future looks bright around Mendoza when he finally gets his chance.
But nobody really expects him to sit all year, unless the Raiders keep winning and stay in first place.
And that will be much harder than what they've achieved so far," Graziano wrote.
The analyst credited the franchise's coaching and quarterback play for delaying the transition.
"We will see Mendoza at some point this season. It just won't be as soon as many imagined.
Credit goes to Cousins, Klint Kubiak, and the entire Raiders organization for that," Graziano wrote.
Las Vegas currently prepares for its Week 4 matchup against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs while receiver Bech landed on injured reserve due to a forearm injury.
