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Tom Brady is not only a seven-time Super Bowl champion and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but he is also a great recruiter.
New Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins credited Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, for giving him a big push during his free agency decision.
“I texted (Brady), asked him to call me when he could, and he actually FaceTimed me; I was at a youth baseball practice. So, I walked away and just FaceTimed with Tom for a minute just to get on the same page and understand his vision for the organization and what he saw in the future and whether I would be a good fit for it or not,” Cousins said during a recent appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady salute after a game at Raymond James Stadium. The game took place in Tampa, Florida on December 13, 2020. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)
“And I hung up the call and called my wife and said, ‘That was a really life-giving call with Tom.’ You know, he gets it. He’s been where I’ve been and then some, and I think he understands what it’s supposed to be like, what it’s going to be like, and it really felt like a shot in the arm, you know, after talking to him. And I felt like it was a big push to come to Las Vegas.”
Cousins said Brady has been “great” throughout the process and that his conversation with the New England Patriots legend was one of many he had while doing his homework on the Raiders. The 37-year-old said Brady was in the building for the first day of OTAs and wants to be a resource.
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Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady reacts before an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“He just wants to be a resource. I don’t know if he’ll be around all the time, but he’s always a phone call or a text away. And I think having a guy who’s won seven Super Bowls, a phone call or a text away, who’s integrated into your organization, that’s got to be a positive,” Cousins said.
While the Raiders are expected to select Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, there is no guarantee he will start in Week 1. Brady and general manager John Spytek have said on numerous occasions that they believe in not playing a young quarterback right away, so it is not a certainty that Mendoza will start Week 1.
Cousins is also familiar with new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak. During Cousins’ time with the Minnesota Vikings, Kubiak was his quarterbacks coach for two seasons and his offensive coordinator for another.
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Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins throws a pass against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona, on December 21, 2025. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)
The Raiders’ plan could be to leave Mendoza under Cousins until they believe he is ready to hit the ground running and become the face of their franchise.
In 10 games and eight starts last season with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The team had a 5-3 record in its early days, including winning its last four.
