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The Las Vegas Raiders have added a veteran to their quarterback room, although they are widely expected to use the No. 1 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 as much as $180 million, but 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/Imagn Images)
Cousins was benched in Week 15 in 2024, the first year of the deal, for rookie Michael Penix Jr. after the four-time Pro Bowler struggled down the stretch as he battled an injury. Cousins started eight games last season, including the last seven after Penix tore his ACL, and the team was 5-3 in his starts, including winning the last four.
In 10 games and eight starts last season, Cousins completed 61.7 percent 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 the 15th most passing touchdowns (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 November 16, 2025. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)
Cousins also knows new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak. During Cousins’ time with the Minnesota Vikings, Kubiak served as 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 needed to add another veteran quarterback despite being the top pick in the NFL Draft, who they will likely use in 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 repeatedly stated they believe in not playing a young quarterback right away, making it unclear whether Mendoza would start in Week 1.
Team executives, if they do indeed select Mendoza with the first pick, might prefer to start Cousins while Mendoza develops behind the scenes to start the season.
