Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Jarrett Stidham


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.9 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kirk Cousins News

Kirk Cousins Opens Raiders Camp as Starting Quarterback

Tuesday, July 28, 12:14 PM

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said Kirk Cousins will take the field as the starting quarterback when the team opens practice Wednesday, according to Ryan McFadden. Kubiak said Cousins deserves the first opportunity because he has played "really good football," while adding that he wants No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell to push him. Cousins joined Las Vegas after completing 166 of 269 passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions across 10 games with Atlanta in 2025. The 37-year-old also has familiarity with Kubiak's system after the two worked together for three seasons in Minnesota. Mendoza remains the Raiders' long-term investment after being selected first overall in April, and Kubiak previously said Cousins, Mendoza, and O'Connell would all receive first-team opportunities during camp. Cousins enters the competition atop the depth chart and has the clearest immediate path to the Week 1 job, though Mendoza's presence limits his long-term security.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Jarrett Stidham News

Jarrett Stidham Being Pushed for Backup QB Job?

Monday, July 13, 10:02 AM

The Denver Post's Parker Gabriel writes that the battle for the No. 2 quarterback job for the Denver Broncos between Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger this summer is one to watch. Head coach Sean Payton could keep three QBs on the regular-season roster after doing so in 2024 and 2025. Stidham has been Denver's backup signal-caller since Payton arrived in Denver, but Ehlinger has "looked capable of mounting a challenge." The decision won't come down to money, but how Stidham and Ehlinger perform in training camp and the preseason. Stidham has $2 million guaranteed, and Ehlinger has $1 million guaranteed in 2026, although Stidham carries an $8 million salary cap number. The Broncos would save $4.5 million on their cap if he's released and $6.5 million if he's traded. Denver doesn't need the cap flexibility with $29.5 million in cap space. After not starting a regular-season game since 2023, Stidham predictably struggled in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots with Nix out with a fractured ankle in a snowstorm, throwing for 133 yards, one touchdown, and two crucial interceptions in a loss.


Kirk Cousins vs. Jarrett Stidham

Still trying to decide between Cousins and Stidham? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kirk Cousins is projected to score 3.9 points this week while Jarrett Stidham is projected to score 1.1 points.