The Raiders’ season has already taken a sharp turn from the 3-0 start, and that’s exactly why Kirk Cousins could become one of the more interesting names on the trade market before Nov. 10.
Las Vegas has dropped three in a row, though two of those losses came in competitive games against top-tier opponents. Still, there’s a point where the math starts to matter more than the fight, and at that stage the Fernando Mendoza era would be ready to begin. If the Raiders drift far enough out of the playoff picture, they could move forward with Aidan O’Connell behind Mendoza while Cousins turns into a very real trade chip.
General manager John Spytek could also find himself in a strong bargaining position if a contender loses its starting quarterback between now and the deadline. Cousins’ contract setup, plus the Mendoza situation, could make him attractive enough to bring back a notable return. Stick to the Model pegs his value as a fourth-round pick, and if someone comes calling with the right offer, Las Vegas would have something to think about.
Here are three teams that could come calling.
The most obvious possibility is any contender that suddenly loses its starting quarterback. There are still three weeks of games left before the deadline, and one awkward hit can change everything for a team with championship hopes. No specific club needs to be named to see the shape of it: a team in the middle of a Super Bowl window could decide Cousins is worth paying for if the alternative is watching the season slip away.
The Cleveland Browns fit the bill as a more concrete landing spot. They’re sitting at 4-2 and hold the AFC North tiebreaker edge over both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, but the offense has been stuck in the mud. Cleveland has finished with fewer than 275 total yards in five of six games, and all four wins have come by four points or less.
A benching of Deshaun Watson is not on the table right now because of the record, but the pressure around the offense is not going away. Shedeur Sanders is waiting in the wings, yet the Browns made their stance pretty clear by not naming him the Week 1 starter after he largely outplayed Watson in the preseason. That does not sound like a situation with much of a future.
Cousins would also be relatively affordable. His deal with the Raiders cuts down the team’s commitment to him, and a trade would leave Cleveland responsible for only about half of his $1.3 million base salary this year because of when a move would happen. If the Browns can survive their next three road games with at least two wins and the offense still looks stuck, they have the draft capital to make an offer Spytek would have a hard time brushing aside.
Then there’s Philadelphia, where the picture has become messy fast. Injuries already pushed the Eagles toward a seller’s posture when they dealt offensive lineman Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens, and then the Jalen Hurts situation forced them to turn to Tanner McKee until further notice.
The Eagles have lost four straight after an underwhelming 2-0 start, but they are still very much alive in a wide-open NFC East. Right now the 3-2-1 New York Giants are in first place, which says plenty about how open this division remains.
A Week 7 Monday Night Football meeting with the also 2-4 Dallas Cowboys could shape Howie Roseman’s deadline thinking. If the Giants lose to the Houston Texans the day before, a Philadelphia win would pull the Eagles within a half-game of the division lead.
If a division title is still there for the taking, Roseman is not likely to be satisfied with McKee as his starter. And there’s another layer here: offensive coordinator Sean Mannion spent at least part of four seasons as Cousins’ backup with the Minnesota Vikings, from 2019-2021 and again in 2023. That connection only strengthens the fit.
If Roseman decides the opportunity is real, he won’t be shy about making a serious trade offer.
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