The Las Vegas Raiders opened the season with three straight wins. They have since dropped four in a row, including two losses by two touchdowns or more.
Despite the slide, head coach Klint Kubiak said Monday that there is no controversy and that quarterback Kirk Cousins is not in danger of losing his job because he is still playing at a high level.
“I want to let you guys know that Kirk is our starting quarterback,” Kubiak told reporters. “He’s playing at a very high level, and he’s got to continue to do that for us to win, and we’ve got to keep helping all the areas around him.”
The Raiders signed Cousins to a five-year contract in free agency, then drafted national champion and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It was the second time this had happened in his career: Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, only for the Falcons to turn around and draft Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington with the 8th overall pick in the 2024 Draft.
Because of Mendoza’s draft pedigree and the convoluted nature of Cousins’s contract with the Raiders, the 15-year veteran seemed likely to play a role similar to the one in Atlanta: a bridge QB and mentor to Mendoza while he waited for the chance to start.
Mendoza struggled in the preseason, and Cousins was named starter.
Cousins has played very well. He is currently ranked 7th in the league in completions (161), 3rd in yards (1,877), and 1st in passing touchdowns.
As a team, the Raiders looked impressive in their first three weeks, opening the season with a 27–13 win over the Miami Dolphins, then a 26–14 win over division rival Los Angeles Chargers, and a 35–27 win over the New Orleans Saints. Those wins have proven to be less impressive over time: the Chargers are winless so far this year; the Dolphins are 1–6; and the Saints are 2–5. All three are at the bottom of their respective divisions.
But the Raiders kept it competitive with some of the league’s top playoff contenders. They fell within a field goal of both the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, both 5–1 and top of their divisions. But they also suffered a 45–17 blowout loss to the New England Patriots, and on Sunday, lost to the L.A. Rams 35–21.
Head coach Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders leaves the field after a 35-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Oct. 25, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“We’ve got to play better team football,” he said. “Starts with stopping the run, starts with running the ball. Those two things.”
The Raiders’ rushing offense ranks 31st in the league at just 74.7 yards per game, despite having former Heisman Trophy finalist and 2025 6th overall pick on the roster in running back Ashton Jeanty. Their run defense ranks 30th, giving up 143.6 yards per game.
As a unit, the defense is also tied for 29th in total yardage, giving up 373.7 yards per game; it ranks 29th in scoring defense, allowing 28.1 points per game.
Kubiak does not see a quarterback change as the solution to the Raiders’ problems. But he is also working on a plan to get the former No.1 pick on the field.
“Eventually Fernando is going to play football,” he said. “We have a plan. We don’t have a timeline for that. Kirk’s playing really well, and we’re in the hunt, and it’s really important that we keep playing really well behind him and continue to develop Fernando, but Fernando’s going to play at some point. It’s just not going to be this week.”
