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The Las Vegas Raiders have made a veteran addition to their quarterback room, even though they are expected to use the first overall pick in the draft to select Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders agreed to a contract with Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins on Thursday, his agent announced. The terms of the contract are not yet known.
Cousins, 37, signed a four-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons two seasons ago that could have been worth up to $180 million, but he was released two seasons after signing it.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 4, 2026. (Brett Davis/Image Images)
Cousins was benched in Week 15 of 2024, the first year of the deal, for rookie Michael Penix Jr. after the four-time Pro Bowler struggled down the stretch while battling an injury. Cousins started eight games last season, including the final seven after Penix tore his ACL, and the team went 5-3 in his starts, including winning the last four.
In 10 games and eight starts last season, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The veteran quarterback has the 19th-most regular-season passing yards (44,700) and 15th-most touchdown passes (298) in NFL history.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) passes against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of an NFL football game in Atlanta on Nov. 16, 2025. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)
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.
The Raiders traded Geno Smith to the New York Jets after a dismal season and were expected to add another veteran quarterback despite having the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, which they will likely use on Mendoza.
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Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on December 11, 2025. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
However, Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek have said on numerous occasions that they believe in not playing a young quarterback right away, so it’s not a certainty that Mendoza will start Week 1.
Team brass, if they do select Mendoza with the first pick, might prefer to start Cousins while Mendoza develops behind the scenes to start the season.
