The Las Vegas Raiders have made clear they have no intention of parting with quarterback Kirk Cousins despite growing speculation linking him to the Denver Broncos.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter confirmed the Raiders’ position, reporting that the team regards Cousins as far too valuable to move ahead of the November 10 trade deadline.
Cousins currently leads the entire NFL in touchdown passes, having thrown 12 against just four interceptions through the first half of the season.
Schefter was unambiguous about where Las Vegas stands: “Kirk Cousins is leading the NFL in touchdown passes. You’re not going to trade that guy.”
The Raiders’ reluctance makes considerable sense given that Cousins helped drag the franchise back to .500 for the first time in years, capped by a 38-33 victory at the New York Jets in Week 8.
That win ended a four-game losing streak and kept the Raiders’ slim postseason hopes alive with the trade deadline still several weeks away.
Cousins, whose $333 million in career earnings across 14 NFL seasons place him among the most handsomely compensated quarterbacks in league history, is playing on a fully guaranteed one-year deal worth $11.3 million with Las Vegas.
Schefter added that the Raiders also value Cousins as a mentor for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, saying the team wants to “keep riding him, until they fall out of playoff contention.”
Any trade conversation was further complicated by the reported asking price, with a second- and third-round pick combination considered insufficient compensation for a quarterback stabilising both the offense and Mendoza’s development.
The speculation arose largely because of the alarming decline in play from Denver’s Bo Nix, who has regressed sharply since returning from a fractured ankle suffered late last season.
The third-year quarterback managed just 107 passing yards on 27 attempts in a recent performance that left the Broncos’ offense scoreless across six consecutive drives without a single first down.
NFL analyst and former veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick did not hold back, saying “it’s almost disrespectful” how Nix is currently playing football.
Jeff Smith of USA Today’s For The Win raised Cousins as one of several potential quarterback options if Denver chose to pursue a trade solution to its offensive struggles.
The Broncos face a difficult calculation, however, since the trade deadline falls on November 10 after Week 9, meaning the team could already be eliminated from playoff contention before any deal could be completed.