Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks Kirk Cousins (left) and Fernando Mendoza (right) warm up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.
David Brytus-Imagn Images
The Las Vegas Raiders head into the 2026 NFL trade deadline with some serious questions to answer. After an exciting 3-0 start, the team is now 4-5 heading into Week 10. So, are they buyers, sellers, or a team that should stay put because of what they are potentially building? The answer to that question will come when we see what general manager John Spytek does with his stars like Maxx Crosby, and most importantly, quarterback Kirk Cousins.
And the fact is, with where the Raiders are at in their rebuild, keeping Cousins past Tuesday is the killer mistake the Raiders must avoid at the 2026 NFL trade deadline.
Why the Raiders must trade Kirk Cousins
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws a pass during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.
Image Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Despite the gaudy start, Cousins has reverted to what we know he is. A professional quarterback who will lose you as many games as he wins. And at 38 years old, this has never been clearer.
Additionally, there is No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, sitting behind him. As the season starts to go south, the franchise has to start taking a look at what they have in their rookie QB, so whether it is in one week or four, the Raiders are going to bench Cousins at some point in the near future.
While this is the reality, this isn't to say that Cousins is a bad signal-caller. He is a solid NFL QB, even at his advanced age, and if he has a better team around him, he would absolutely win more games. Through Week 9, Cousins is completing 64.1% of his passes for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Those numbers put Cousins in the middle of the pack in terms of completion percentage and interception rate, but also fifth in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns. The “old man” can still get the job done under center, and that type of quarterback play would be a huge help to several teams that have the talent to make the playoffs but may be struggling at QB.
First and foremost among these teams is the Minnesota Vikings, who haven't been the same since they let Cousins walk after the 2023 season. Cousins would currently be a huge upgrade over Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Other teams that have lost their starting QBs—namely the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens—could potentially be interested in the Raiders' signal-caller as well at the 2026 NFL trade deadline.
To sum up what the Raiders are seeing at the 2026 trade deadline, we have a quarterback who is not long for his job because of a young player behind him, a QB who is no longer good enough to carry a young team on his back and lead them to wins, a QB market that doesn't have a lot of players to offer, and multiple teams that could see Cousins as an upgrade.
Market conditions will never be better for the Raiders, so moving Cousins at the trade deadline makes a ton of sense. In fact, not getting something substantial in return for Cousins at this point would be GM malpractice. This situation doesn't come around all that often. When the New York Giants decided to start Eli Manning or the Buffalo Bills finally trotted out Josh Allen, those teams didn't have other GMs knocking down their doors for Kurt Warner or Nathan Peterman.
Las Vegas is in a great situation, but as we know, coaches and front office staff often prioritize winning games in the current season over the long-term health of the franchise. If the Raiders do this in 2026 and keep Kirk Cousins, it will be a killer mistake that may hold the Raiders back for even longer.