Kirk Cousins Comments on Passing John Elway in Career Touchdown Passes

Kirk Cousins, quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, responded humorously after throwing his 301st career touchdown pass during the Raiders' Week 1 victory over the Miami Dolphins on September 10, 2026. In the game, Cousins threw three touchdown passes, contributing to a 27-13 win. After the game, while speaking with a person on the field, he acknowledged passing Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway on the all-time touchdown list. The individual congratulated Cousins, saying, "Hell of an accomplishment." Cousins replied, "Yeah, thank you, yeah. I just passed John Elway, I think," and upon confirmation, added with a smile, "It’s a decent name. He had a decent career." Cousins became the 15th quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 300 touchdown passes, completing 21 of 30 attempts for 160 yards, but also threw two interceptions. Despite the victory, there are discussions about rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza potentially taking over the starting position, as Cousins struggled with longer throws, completing only 1 of 7 attempts for 21 yards beyond 10 yards downfield. Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post noted that this inconsistency could impact the Raiders' ability to secure future wins.