The Kansas City Chiefs have reason to respect both the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos heading into the 2026 season. While both teams have been dominated by Patrick Mahomes, the respective 2025 playoff berths are more than enough to garner attention and respect from Kansas City. The same cannot be said of the Las Vegas Raiders, who at every turn continue to show their own ineptitude, unable to make the obvious decisions or give a frustrated fanbase hope. The latest iteration of this is a quarterback decision that would appear obvious at first glance.
If the Raiders had any path to relevance in the AFC West in the 2026 season, it was No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza stepping in as a rookie and being elite from the jump. A chance that Mendoza appears unlikely to have, with ESPN's Ryan McFadden offering recent insight that makes it clear the Raiders are leaning towards 14-year veteran Kirk Cousins starting the season as the team's primary option.
This is incredible news for the Chiefs, with the Raiders already being safely crossed off as potential threats to Kansas City's return to dominance. Not only does Kansas City play the Raiders in Week 4, but the Raiders start the season facing the Chargers, Chiefs, and New England Patriots in the first five weeks of the season.
Chiefs can only laugh as Raiders make obvious blunder heading toward 2026 Season
This should set the franchise up for an ugly start that pushes them out of contention and turns up the heat on Mendoza when the rookie does ultimately step into the starting lineup. While this isn't meant to disrespect the career of Cousins, those who had the misfortune to watch the quarterback over the past two seasons understand the limitations the veteran brings to an already struggling franchise.
After a two-year stint on the Atlanta Falcons, calling Cousins a statue in the pocket feels generous, with deep throws appearing to take every ounce of strength in the quarterback's arm. This is on the rare occasion when Cousins would manage to keep a play alive long enough to make a read that isn't one the defense is sitting on, waiting for an opportunity to create a turnover.
No question, Cousins appeared to be on his way out of the league and no longer the capable starter he was previously in his career. This is the player the Raiders are expected to choose to lead their franchise at the start of the 2026 season in a loaded AFC West.
Kansas City can't help but enjoy this misstep and view it as a clear opportunity to wipe the Raiders far out of reach of the division in the season's first weeks. Something that was already expected to happen with a rookie quarterback, but will go from an expectation to a certainty with Cousins starting, making it clear the Raiders aren't going to escape the division basement.
Add us as a preferred source on Google