Kirk Cousins Hot Raiders Start Brings Heavy Early Praise

Sep 20, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) celebrates with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker (1) after a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kirk Cousins Hot Raiders Start Brings Heavy Early Praise

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Hugh Straine | Last updated Sep 23, 2026 11:30 AM ET

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The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-0 and are potentially becoming one of the more pleasant early surprises in the National Football League.

Early in their rebuild, the Raiders have produced two quality performances, earning wins over the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach Klint Kubiak's tenure in Las Vegas is off to a very promising start.

Las Vegas brought in 15-year veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason, along with 2026 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. It was always expected that Cousins would be the Week 1 starter for the franchise, but his start to the 2026 campaign has been highly impressive.

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Kirk Cousins Earning Praise Following Hot Start With Raiders

The former Michigan State Spartan was solid in Week 1 against Miami, completing 21-of-30 passes for 160 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. However, he was a major driving force behind the Raiders' Week 2 road win over the Chargers.

Against LA, Cousins went 19-of-29 passing for 253 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, with a quarterback rating of 113. He joined Ken Stabler as the only Raiders quarterbacks to throw three or more touchdowns in each of his first two starts with the team.

After a very promising start, Cousins is receiving some heavy praise.

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On CBS Sports' "Set, Hut!," former NFL star quarterback Russell Wilson revealed a big prediction for Cousins in 2026.

"Kirk's gone through a lot of stuff in the past couple years," Wilson said. "You know, and he's managed it well. I think Kirk Cousins has done a great job of managing all the noise around him saying that he's done, this and that."

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"To me, Kirk Cousins has responded in a great way, and that's what this game's about. You know, it's like you got to keep going, you got to have that grit. And I think Kirk's had that grit over his career."

"But also, could Kirk Cousins win Comeback Player of the Year? I'm just saying it now, you heard it right here on 'Set, Hut!,' I think Kirk Cousins wins Comeback Player of the Year."

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How Kirk Cousins Success Changes Raiders' Season

Before the season started, most people probably expected Mendoza to make his first start in the Silver and Black in 2026 at some point this season. However, if the Raiders keep winning and Cousins keeps performing at a high level, he will earn the right to stay on the field.

Cousins has proven over the first two weeks of the season that he is still a quality starting quarterback in this league. No one knows where the rest of the 2026 campaign takes the Raiders, but so far, Cousins has made his mark, and people outside the organization are noticing.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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