3 Immediate Ways Kirk Cousins Impacts the Raiders

The Raiders, under the leadership of Tom Brady and GM John Spytek, have stayed their course, been disciplined, targeted, deliberative, and collaborative.

All characteristics not seen in the past two decades from a franchise that was once feared and respected by all professional football teams.

But with the near certainty of adding a future franchise leading quarterback in Fernando Mendoza in the 2026 National Football League (NFL) draft, and a cornucopia of new free agents that are all expected to impact all three phases of the game, the future is looking bright.

Outside of adding the brightest young offensive mind in the game and giving him his first head-coaching opportunity in Klint Kubiak, perhaps no other decision will mean more than the addition of QB Kirk Cousins.

Captain Kirk Ready and Able

The addition of Kirk Cousins does a lot of good for a franchise looking to dig itself out of the doldrums of mediocrity and the quicksand of failure.

Not because he is expected to lead this team in 2028, when they emerge from the rebuild of the next two seasons.  I don’t even think he ends 2026 as the starter, but because of what he brings to the table.

Kirk is someone I have covered since he was a junior at Holland Christian High School in Holland, Michigan.

Additionally, I covered every single game and day of his career at Michigan State, and have an understanding of him that many do not.

The consummate pro and an exceptional human being, Kirk will bring something this franchise has been anemic for.

Here are the three areas in which Kirk Cousins instantly makes the Silver and Black better, and why he changes the dynamic.

Three Areas Cousins' Will Impact Immediately

1. Fernando Mendoza

Sure, the Indiana Hoosier hasn’t been selected yet, but we all know, unless someone does something significantly stupid, they will, and Kirk instantly gives him a role model who does things the right way.  Mendoza isn’t going to be stuck in a quarterback room with someone who isn’t going to mentor him, teach him, and, more importantly, genuinely offer him what few get in the cutthroat world of professional football:  friendship.

Even after getting benched for Michael Penix, Cousins was gracious, kind, supportive, and caring for the youngster.

Make no mistake that Cousins is competitive, and wants to shine; he isn’t going to come to Vegas and steal his money, he isn’t stupid either.  Cousins knows that no matter how good he plays, he is keeping Mendoza’s seat warm, and when the rookie matures and no one could or would handle the job, in this environment, like Cousins.

Tre Tucker now has a QB that can get him the ball downfield when he’s open, Brock Bowers has a QB who can thread the needle, and a signal caller who can read off of the pre-snap and audible.  All things Mendoza will be learned in the classroom at Allegiant Stadium and every day in practice.

2. The Defense

“Wait a second Uncle Hondo, is Kirk going to also play safety for new DC Rob Leonard?”  I can hear all of your minds turning as I write that Kirk will help the defense, but let me explain.

Last year, the defense wore out when giving the ball to the offense, and nothing happened.  It can deflate the momentum of the other side of the ball when you battle, fight, scratch, and claw, only to see failed mediocrity.

Does that mean Cousins will never throw an interception or have a fumble?  Of course not.

What it means is that the defense knows who Kirk Cousins is; they will trust him, even with all the youth around him, to rally that side of the ball.  The Raiders offense will not be the dumping ground of despair, where dreams go to die, as it has been.

While the defense won’t expect the Silver and Black offense of 2026 to be the New England Patriots of the 2007 season, what the defense will rightfully expect is that the 2026 offense will at least seem proficient and capable, and be led by successful people who can give them a chance.

The Raiders' defense, for too long, has had the mentality that if they don’t score, the defense, the Raiders can’t win.

This offense, led by Cousins, will not be prolific, but it will be capable, and that is a true start of the rebuilding process.

3. The Coaching Staff

A learning theory emerged in the mid-twentieth century that said, “More is caught than taught.”  I agree with that.

Klint Kubiak and his assembled staff are exceptional people.  Kubiak hired character first, and I respect that, but he also has coached Cousins; he knows him, respects him, and Cousins, the man and QB, are what Kubiak wants to see Cousins rub off on his shiny new QB in Mendoza.

He hopes that Mendoza can prove that theory and learn the high-level QB aspect by watching and interacting with Cousins.

Listen to how he spoke in Phoenix, before Cousins' signing was public, about having an experienced QB to lead the way for a younger rookie.

"I think in a perfect world that he's watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team…but you'd rather him learn before he gets in the game.”

I pressed Kubiak about using the older QB to teach, and he didn’t agree with that; he did, however, agree that having one is important.  “I'm not going to ask them...to be a teacher. That's our job. Our job as a coach, you just want that guy to lead, lead with his play, lead by example. That's a lot to ask from a guy like they have enough to worry about to try to get the ball off when they get sacked, so you just want them to play their best football, and hopefully the young guy will learn through osmosis."

This staff knows very well that management understands this is a long climb for the Raiders to get back to the top.  That doesn’t mean they will accept excuses, but their feet are firmly planted in reality.

Cousins gives the staff a chance to breathe, teach, and take all the lumps they can in 2026; the more, the merrier, as they soften the blow in 2027.  Cousins improves the team at the most important position, and not having to worry about the QB1 spot makes a very stressful job a little more stable, with some room not to relax, but to load up, prepare, and lay the pivotal foundation.

A Perfect World?

In Phoenix, Klint Kubiak alluded to having a veteran presence like Cousins by saying, “That's in a perfect world.”

He wasn’t saying it would make the Raiders perfect; they aren’t.  He wasn’t saying it guarantees the rebuild's success; it doesn’t.  But what it did communicate is that the Raiders have spent the entire offseason making moves that carry high risk.

A first-time head coach.  Two first-time coordinators.  A presumed rookie first-round QB.

Signing Cousins mitigated risks.  In Las Vegas, it is better said as 'hedging your bet'.

Hiring Kubiak, the coordinators, and the rookie QB are all risky.  All for various reasons hedge their bets of Raider Nation against failure

Cousins does as well.  Kubiak said before Cousins was signed what adding him would mean, and he was right.

"I've said we'd love to have a guy like that, a veteran presence in the room."

Conventional wisdom says the Raiders aren’t Super Bowl contenders in 2026, but they are better.  One day, if this rebuild goes well, stories will be told about Kubiak and Mendoza.

But don’t forget the impact that Captain Kirk can have as well.  He improves these three aforementioned areas, among others.