Kirk Cousins may lose his starting quarterback role with the Las Vegas Raiders as early as Week 12 this season, according to NFL analyst Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report. Gagnon wrote that the Raiders could bench Cousins in favour of their 2026 top draft pick, Fernando Mendoza, after giving Cousins "plenty of rope while allowing Mendoza sufficient time to marinate."
The Raiders face a difficult schedule from now until the end of November, which Gagnon says will probably leave them out of playoff contention by the time they meet Cleveland in Week 12. That situation would make it easier for the team to turn to Mendoza in a live game environment.
Cousins, who previously played for the Minnesota Vikings, has exceeded expectations this season and held off Mendoza’s challenge for the starting job so far. But the Raiders will want to evaluate Mendoza on the field eventually. Gagnon’s analysis suggests that the decision to replace Cousins is likely more about the team’s long-term planning and Mendoza’s development than immediate performance concerns.
The Raiders have not made any official statements about changing their starting quarterback. Mendoza’s preparation and readiness remain unconfirmed, but his status as the top pick in the 2026 draft puts pressure on the team to give him playing time sooner rather than later.
This situation comes amid the broader difficulty of the quarterback position in the NFL, which Gagnon described as the toughest job in sports due to its mental and physical demands. Cousins’s ability to maintain the starting role this far into the season shows his resilience.
The story first appeared on Vikings Wire under the headline "Could a former Vikings QB be benched for the top pick in 2026?" and has since gained attention for the potential shift in the Raiders' quarterback lineup as the season progresses.
According to Yahoo Sports.
