Ceiling and Floor: Raiders’ Kirk Cousins Has Wide Range

The Las Vegas Raiders arguably had the weakest quarterback room in the league last season. Geno Smith was definitely in the bottom five of starting quarterbacks, and trading for Kenny Pickett resulted in nothing.

The only quarterback to show any kind of promise was Aidan O'Connell, and that was in the final game of the season. Klint Kubiak became the head coach and almost immediately went after a veteran quarterback to lead their offense next season. What are Kirk Cousins' ranges for the 2026 season?

Ceiling

Kirk Cousins | DARRELL DRAIG HARRIS, ON SI

Cousins is playing next season with virtually no pressure, thanks to Fernando Mendoza being the first overall pick. He has already been usurped by a young quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons, and he's playing on a hefty contract that's almost fully guaranteed.

With that being said, Cousins does have an incentive to play well. He's only under contract for the next two seasons with the Silver and Black, and if he can ball out in Kubiak's system, I'm positive another team will be interested in his veteran services.

Klint Kubiak | DARRELLCRAIG HARRIS, ON SI

Cousins is a gunslinger through and through, with his ballistic 500-yard passing performance just two seasons ago. He hasn't reached 4,000 passing yards since 2022, but is it crazy to say that he can reach a similar number in 2026?

Cousins' ceiling in his first year with the Raiders is throwing for 3,800 yards and 25 touchdowns. This only happens if he plays the entire 2026 season, which is a definite possibility if he's playing that well. This ceiling includes leading the Raiders to an improbable playoff appearance, but I don't think they can go very far in the postseason with Cousins at the helm.

Floor

Las Vegas Raiders QB Kirk Cousins | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

In every season Cousins has played at least 14 games in his career, he's managed to throw for 3,500 passing yards. However, I don't think that's his floor. It's very possible that Cousins may be only a slight upgrade over Smith, and with an improved supporting cast, it'll be even easier for him to execute Kubiak's offensive schemes.

Cousins may even get benched for Mendoza if he's hurting their offense to a dramatic degree. The Raiders have a bye week in Week 13, and I'd expect Kubiak to give him until then to prove he deserves the starting job after that point. As a result, I see Cousins' floor as playing through their bye week, where he'd throw for 2,000 yards and only 10 touchdowns.

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