Kirk Cousins solutions questions from the media through the Kirk Cousins Soccer Camp on Wednesday, June 24. © Adam Vander Kooy/Holland Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK through Imagn Photographs
Kirk Cousins skilled six productive seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, beginning in 2018 with a free-agent contract and ending in 2023 with an Achilles tendon tear. The Las Vegas Raiders now make use of him, and Cousins lately revealed that Las Vegas’s OTAs have been the most efficient he’s ever encountered.
Whereas the remark wasn’t completely insulting, it painted present Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell in a detrimental mild.
Kubiak Connection Places Cousins’ Vikings Years Again underneath the Microscope
Picture 1 CSR: Kirk Cousins speaks with reporters after signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, explaining his early slot in Klint Kubiak’s offense throughout a media session on Apr. 6, 2026, in Henderson, Nevada, whereas discussing new teammates, together with Brock Bowers, and early organizational expectations after becoming a member of the franchise three weeks into free company that spring. Necessary Credit score: YouTube.
Cousins on Raiders OTAs
Cousins chatted with Wealthy Eisen final week, commenting on OTAs: “I told him after OTAs, ‘Coach, this is probably the most urgent and most productive OTAs I’ve ever been a part of.’ That starts with him as a head coach.”
“He created a sense of urgency from Day One, all the way through the 10-week program, and I thought we got a lot of work done. We’ve got a long ways to go, but we laid a good foundation.”
By implication, the statements made Cousins’s OTAs in Washington, Minnesota, and Atlanta look dangerous.
Properly, What Kind of Operations Are the Vikings Working?
It definitely isn’t dangerous or fallacious for Cousins to go with Kubiak for finely-tuned OTAs. In truth, for Las Vegas’s sake, it’s nice.
However one should marvel: what’s Kubiak, a first-time head coach and former Vikings offensive coordinator, doing that O’Connell and different coaches from Cousins’ previous are usually not? Is he conducting a extra critical schedule? Is it extra relaxed and therefore extra fulfilling?
If something, Cousins must be confused by Kubiak’s OTAs — they need to be inferior to O’Connell’s as a result of it’s Kubiak’s first crack at them. But, that isn’t the case. Kubiak already has the particular sauce.
Cousins’s Outlook in Las Vegas
The Raiders signed Cousins for one central purpose: to patch over rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza when he’s prepared. Las Vegas used the primary general decide within the draft on Mendoza from Indiana. It doesn’t matter what, he’ll be underneath middle earlier than too lengthy.
Nevertheless, the Raiders need to take the transition slowly. They consider in the advantage of watching and studying, which means Cousins will most likely take the primary snaps on offense for Kubiak in September. He may even be the starter for many of 2026. Since Cousins left Minnesota in 2024 free company, he’s encountered ups and downs, added by the Atlanta Falcons to be their QB1 answer however solid apart six weeks later after the surprising draft choice of Michael Penix Jr.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak addresses reporters through the NFL’s offseason gathering, discussing his workers, offensive path, and quarterback plan on Mar. 31, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona, on the 2026 NFL Annual League Assembly because the franchise mapped out his first full season underneath a brand new Raiders regime that spring. Necessary Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photographs.
In Las Vegas, Cousins hopes to maintain Mendoza on the bench for one season and perhaps even writer a playoff journey that has eluded him since 2022.
He’ll try the feat with a suspect group of playmakers, which embrace Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers at tight finish — and that’s about it. The Raiders have one of many NFL’s worst vast receiving corps, that includes Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech, and Tre Tucker. Oofta.
Vikings OTAs Thought-about a Success in 2026
In Minnesota, OTAs are full, and all consideration has shifted to coaching camp in 4 weeks. The Vikings proceed to advertise and spotlight their oft-advertised quarterback battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, whereas additionally offering encouraging damage updates on rookies Caleb Banks and Christian Darrisaw. Each males are trending to be prepared for coaching camp.
New Vikings playmakers additionally moved the needle, together with veteran wideout Jauan Jennings — who is seemingly a “dirtbag,” however in a great way, in response to Murray — rookie working again Demond Claiborne and vast receiver Dillon Bell.
Las Vegas is predicted to win six or seven video games this season. Running a blog Soiled‘s Jason Kandel spoke lowly of Cousins final weekend, noting, “Don’t let his 5-3 record as a starter in 2025 fool you. The four-time Pro Bowler couldn’t do anything. He was a statue in the pocket, and if the bar was ‘be a better fit for Zac Robinson’s offense than Penix’, that’s not a tough bar to clear.”
“Falcons Cousins was nothing like the guy we saw in Minnesota. And Raiders are primed to learn the same lesson the Falcons did. As a short-term bridge starter he’s okay, but Kubiak has made it clear they wouldn’t mind starting him for most of 2026. He’s a good mentor for Mendoza, but he leaves a lot to be desired as a placeholder given his signs of age.”
Kirk Cousins seems on the Girls of Fox Sports activities Radio present set throughout Tremendous Bowl week, fielding questions on his profession, future, and veteran quarterback perspective on Feb. 6, 2026, in San Francisco, California, from contained in the Tremendous Bowl LX media middle at Moscone Heart as NFL protection stuffed the week. Necessary Credit score: Kirby Lee-Imagn Photographs.
Cousins has all the time been a divisive creature.
Kandel concluded, “While the Raiders have some pieces in place, the fact of the matter is that Kirk Cousins isn’t all that great anymore. He’s slow, turnover-prone, and playing behind a bad offensive line. If an elite Falcons offense couldn’t save him, nothing will. He should embrace being a backup and slowly phase out.”
Cousins will flip 38 in August.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
