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HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders (4-4) will take on the San Francisco 49ers (6-1) on Sunday, and the once neighbors in the Bay Area will renew an old rivalry.
The 49ers have ruled out three wide receivers, including future Hall of Fame star Mike Evans, and have a fourth listed as questionable.
That said, big things are swirling around the Silver and Black franchise with the NFL trade deadline looming this Tuesday at 1 PM PT, and for the first time in years, it isn’t drama or controversy.
Under the steady hand of GM John Spytek, the Raiders are being run professionally from top to bottom, and this storied franchise is now being talked about for all the right reasons.
One of the many advantages that the Raiders have with a 15-year veteran like Kirk Cousins leading the way for the 2026 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick, and the man NFL executives ranked as the best QB prospect in the last four drafts, Fernando Mendoza, is that he isn’t just showing the Nandolorian the on-field complexities of the game, but the off-field.
Cousins leads from the front, and it is why his teammates love and trust him.
A lot has been made of Klint Kubiak facing his brother, Klay, the 49ers' offensive coordinator, on Sunday, but Cousins has ties there as well.
But for Cousins, it is about leading this team from the front into what could be the biggest win of Kubiak's early career, and perhaps projecting them from playoff hopeful to playoff-bound.
Kyle Shanahan, like his father Mike, is a gifted offensive mind, and his team deserves the respect they get on offense, but as Cousins pointed out, that defense is elite.
“Another top five defense in the league. Feels like I’m saying that every week the last several weeks. I don’t know who the bottom five defenses are, but we’re not playing them. So, maybe someday. But what a challenge. Great opportunity, great football team, well coached, great players. So, it’ll be a great challenge for us, and we’ve got to be at our best, but going to their place, great environment, great fan base there, and it’ll be a good test for us. So, take any questions you have.”
KIRKO CHAINS IS BACK 🥶 pic.twitter.com/zPhBjtxAkc
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) November 2, 2026
Cousins' alter ego, Kirko Chainz, came back in force this week on the plane ride back from New Jersey after the win over the Jets. Cousins explained why it may have returned.
“I don’t know. It’s been a while. I think probably the longer the flight, the more likely the chains, and it was a long one coming back, and it was a great win, and so we had fun with it. But a lot of football up ahead.”
Raiders RB Dylan Laube is the Silver and Black's unexpected dog, and one area he is contributing is helping his QB with his TD celebrations, such as Cousins' recent “Wellness” appreciation to the training staff.
Kirk Cousins just hit the most UNC celebration possible pic.twitter.com/XbrXyVWwD6
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 1, 2026
“Oh yeah, that was all Dylan [Laube]. So, I’m famous for – shout out to my college teammate, specifically Todd Anderson – I don’t get my own jokes, I steal them from other people, and then I’m just a better megaphone. So, Dylan came up with it, and then I was like, ‘I’m going to use that.’ So, he gets all the credit for coming up with it. I get all the credit for spreading the joy.“
Cousins then got sentimental for his days at Michigan State.
“But in college, I was known for hearing a good joke in the locker room in one corner, and then I would go run over to the other corner and tell the same joke as if it was my joke. So, it got to a point where guys are like, ‘You’re a joke stealer. You can’t do that.’ So, anyways, I guess I kind of stole that one, but I did my part.”
Kubiak asked his veteran QB to talk to the team about how he prepares, and the 38-year-old Cousins sounded like a 120-year-old sage, bringing his teammates' attention back to the joy of the game of football.
“Klint [Kubiak] had asked me maybe 20 minutes before the team meeting, ‘Can you share a thought about your preparation today?’ And I said, ‘Okay.’ So, I kind of was thinking quickly through some thoughts that I thought would resonate, and I just find in this league that comparison is a big part of what this league is all about.”
Cousins elaborated, “You’re third in this or seventh in that, whatever it may be. And comparison is the thief of joy. And so, this league and the way this league works can steal your joy really quick if you let it. And it’s done it to me many times."
"And so, I was just challenging myself. What I was trying to communicate to the team is, ‘Guys, it’s a daily battle for me to come in here and have joy because of the way that this league beats you up in the comparison factor.’ And so, I said, ‘Don’t let this league steal your joy, and let’s help each other and how we do that.' And it’s a daily battle.”
After the win over the Jets, Cousins and several teammates went to his favorite place to eat, and it has become a victory cry after a Raiders win.
“Yeah, I mean, we lost four in a row, so it’s been a while. But man, as the weeks grew and the losses mounted, the In-N-Out started sounding better and better. So, we knew, ‘Hey, if we win this game, let’s all land and let’s all go to In-N-Out.’”
Kirk Cousin’s In-N-Out winning meal crew got bigger after snapping a 4-game skid on Sunday vs. the Jets. #vegas #raiders #raidernation pic.twitter.com/Zx6GX73VhD
— Mick Akers (@mickakers) November 3, 2026
Cousins, since he was a freshman at Michigan State, has always been known as generous. So when asked about picking up the tab, I already knew the answer.
“In-N-Out’s not that expensive, so I think, yeah, the last time, there weren’t that many of us, maybe 15 guys or whatever it was, but yeah, you put your card down; it doesn’t go too far, which is nice.”
The Raiders have had their troubles coming out of the locker room at halftime. Kubiak hasn’t hidden from that, and the team was significantly better against the Jets, and Cousins explained why that is so vital in the NFL.
“Yeah, I think it was. I think the first play of the second half might have been the throw to Brock [Bowers], and I thought that was a key play in the game and a great call by our coaches, and that whole drive, to finish that drive, it got us right back in the game, which we needed, very important. If you punt and they go down and score, it could be a whole different story."
"So, it’s very important, and we’ve got to be really strong in the third quarter the rest of the way. And I felt we have continued, last week in the fourth quarter, continuing to play well in the fourth quarter. But it’s a four-quarter game. You’ve got to do it, all four of them.”
The grounded Cousins broke down the fact that he talks about joy and comparison, but he also brings up the second-half slow starts and how he balances the two in telling detail.
“Well, I think I talk about it out two sides of my mouth because on one hand, it’s, ‘Comparison is the thief of joy,’ but welcome to the NFL. You’re also being evaluated, and this is a big boy business, and you’ve got to deliver, so it’s both.”
He added, “And my message to myself and to our team is, ‘Hey guys, we’ve got to hold ourselves to a very high standard, but we can’t let that cause us to come in here with our heads down or without joy because we’ll be at our best when we’re able to do both.’ And that’s what you’re looking to do, is to find that balance in the middle."
"But there’s no doubt that when I’m looking every week, saying, ‘Where are we ranked in the bottom of the league, where do we have to be better, where are we getting beat, or what will get us beat?’ And you have to be on those things and working to improve them at all times.”
The reality about the NFL, whether you are a fan or a player, is that you always want more. The Raiders improved against the blitz last week and in man coverage, but for Cousins, it was only a start—not a milestone—the mark of a good leader.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s week to week, but I was very impressed with the effort and the way guys were separating and making plays versus man. And it’s play to play, week to week, as to how much man are you getting, how much zone are you getting, how much pressure are you getting, what kinds of pressures are you getting. Not all mans are created equal. Not all zones are created equal. So, it’s play to play, week to week. But guys did a great job last week, and then you want to build on it.”
Sophomore Jack Bech returned to the lineup last week, and he and multiple other teammates have talked about playing unselfish football; it isn’t always about them. Cousins said that's a major key to the Kubiak offensive system.
“Yeah, well, I can speak to two things. One, Jack Bech, I think, is 4-0 this year, so Jack Bech makes a difference. But the fact that other parts of football matter to them says a lot about them as people and as teammates. It’s just really unique. Tre Tucker didn’t have a big day. Jack Bech didn’t have a big day. There’s been games where Michael Mayer may not have had a big day, but you don’t notice a difference.”
Cousins went even deeper: “And I’ve played with a lot of guys, pass catchers, who when they don’t have a big day, there’s a difference in their demeanor and their attitude leaving the stadium, leaving the locker room. But they’re the same person because it’s about the team. It’s about contributing in other ways."
"It’s about everybody together, and that’s where I say it’s a joy to play with them, and they’ve restored my faith in Gen Z, kind of a thing. So, I joke about it, but it is a high caliber. I think that goes back to Spy [John Spytek] and Tom [Brady] and the people they’re trying to bring in here. They’re high caliber people.”
Cousins has been with the Raiders for less than a year, but he loves and knows football, and he talked about a renewed rivalry.
“Yeah, I’m new, obviously, to everything that involves the Raiders and the tradition. I’ve seen it from a distance, but now I’m living it. Going back to the Bay, it’ll be interesting going back, and I know that in close proximity for so many years – I’ve got Michigan-Michigan State this week, and so I know what close proximity rivalries are like, and this was and really is one of those. And so, a lot of tradition and a lot of big names on both sides over many years, and it’s fun and an honor to be a part of that.”
Cousins went to the Oakland Coliseum in his second year with Washington. It impressed him.
“Yeah, the Oakland Coliseum. I remember it well. Week 4, Charles Woodson was still playing then. I believe Richard Seymour was still playing. The Black Hole was real. You pulled in with the buses, the tailgating. You could see it was different. I remember the away locker room was not something that was very cozy, very memorable, if you will."
"The away locker room would be something you’d want to forget about. But the baseball field was still intact. It was early in the year, so I didn’t play in the game, but I remember it well.”
The defense of the Niners was discussed above, but Cousins circled back to talk about the mountain that they represent, and he and his teammates have to climb to get what would be a major upset.
“Yeah, great respect for Raheem [Morris]. Loved him as a head coach. Loved him as a DB coach when I was with him in Washington. He just knows football so well. Very few coaches can understand the game the way he does at so many levels and so many facets he can talk ball, which is very unique. It’s a great group. They’re well coached."
"Fred Warner is one of the best linebackers in the league. [Nick] Bosa, Buck [DeForest Buckner], several of these guys are some of the best D-linemen in the league, and I think the secondary is also a very good group.”
Cousins couldn’t ignore the playmaking ability the 49ers defense demonstrates. “They’ve made a lot of plays, so it’s all three levels. You see the safeties really play hard, play fast. They’ll strike you. So, it’s a defense that played really well last year, playing really well this year. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of these same players and even somewhat the same scheme going back to when Kyle [Shanahan] first got there, and they’ve got a lot of continuity, and it shows in the tape.”
Michigan State takes on the Michigan Wolverines today in a battle for Paul Bunyan’s trophy. Cousins couldn’t help but discuss it with so many Spartans like Connor Heyward, Jalen Nailor, and Cody White on the team.
“This is the most Spartans I’ve ever had on the team with me, with Cody [White] and Connor [Heyward] and Jalen [Nailor], and then probably the most blue bellies as well. It’s quite a rivalry. We always talk about walking the streets, not the alleys, and we’ll see what happens Saturday.”
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