Risk Flags
2- Draft Capital
The Raiders used the 2026 first-overall pick on Fernando Mendoza, who opens the season as Cousins' backup; that draft investment signals a short leash and a clear in-house successor the moment performance or team record slips.
- Injury Concerns
Cousins is coming back from a prior Achilles tear, and a modest recent uptick in his own carry share adds mobility-related re-injury exposure at an age where recovery margins are thin.