Four straight losses have erased the Las Vegas Raiders‘ 3-0 start and raised a question: could Kirk Cousins be moved before the November 10 deadline? ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the veteran has trade value, partly because his reworked deal carries a $1.3 million base salary.
Calls for No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza to take over have grown, but Coach Klint Kubiak says Cousins will start against the Jets. Las Vegas is 3-4, and Cousins has thrown 16 touchdowns.
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Fowler placed Cousins No. 21 on his 25-player deadline list and gave him a 20% chance of being traded. The 38-year-old has 1,877 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions through seven games. Las Vegas opened 3-0, then lost four straight, including a 35-21 defeat to the Rams on October 25, to fall to 3-4. His strong stats and the team’s losing run now frame the same decision.
“Cousins played well enough through seven games that he has trade value,” Fowler wrote. “So does his contract, which after being reworked features a $1.3 million base salary. Aidan O’Connell, the Raiders’ QB3, is a former starter who could slide into the primary backup role to Fernando Mendoza if Las Vegas is ready to start the rookie. There are no glaring needs at quarterback leaguewide, but injuries happen every week. The Raiders have not planned to be overly active at the deadline.”
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That ranking does not confirm that the Raiders are shopping Cousins. Fowler also wrote that the team had not planned to be active at the deadline. A reworked base salary could appeal to a quarterback-needy team, but ESPN assigned a 20% trade chance, not a certainty.
That growing trade chatter forces Las Vegas to face a major decision about transitioning to rookie Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders’ four-game skid has quickly shifted attention toward the team’s long-term quarterback direction. A recent Raiders update tracks growing calls for Mendoza, the No. 1 pick, to take over, despite Cousins leading the NFL with 16 touchdown passes.
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Kubiak kept Cousins as the starter against the Jets and said, “There’s no controversy.” A second Raiders report relays ESPN’s Ryan McFadden’s view that the skid alone does not justify a switch. Cousins threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Rams.
Fowler’s list also points to a roster path: if Cousins is traded, Aidan O’Connell could leave QB3 for primary backup behind Mendoza. Mendoza made his first brief appearance against New England, completing six of eight passes for 48 yards. Las Vegas visits the Jets November 1, ahead of the November 10 deadline. Kubiak expects Mendoza to play but gave no first-start date. No trade has been announced.
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