Kirk Cousins heads to Las Vegas to reunite with Klint Kubiak and mentor the Raiders' expected No. 1 draft pick, Fernando Mendoza.
New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak made a move to reunite with his former quarterback. The Raiders agreed to terms with Kirk Cousin, who may play a pivotal role for the franchise as a bridge QB ahead of the NFL draft. It indicates a careful plan to develop their expected No. 1 draft pick, Fernando Mendoza, without throwing him to the wolves. Cousins will earn $20 million guaranteed in 2026, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The contract includes a club option for two years at $80 million and could reach $172 million over five years. It marks the eleventh straight year the four-time Pro Bowler’s contract is fully guaranteed.
Cousins was released by the Atlanta Falcons less than a month ago after two turbulent seasons with the franchise. They drafted Michael Penix Jr. six weeks after he signed with the team, which surprised Cousins. This time, being a bridge quarterback won’t come as a shock. That’s something that Cousins himself has advocated for, pointing to Aaron Rodgers’ development in Green Bay. Las Vegas is anticipated to take Mendoza with their top pick, and both Kubiak and general manager John Spytek have been clear on not wanting to start a rookie quarterback right away.
Here is the full story from Raiders Roundtable writer Bob McCullough on their big move for a bridge gap or backup signal caller.
Cousins and Kubiak spent three seasons together on the Minnesota Vikings, where Kubiak was the OC and quarterbacks coach. Cousins completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 12,089 yards and 94 touchdowns in that stretch. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 after completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,221 yards and 33 touchdowns with a 103.1 passer rating. For his 15th NFL season, he’ll head to Las Vegas to serve as a steady veteran hand to lead the offense while their star franchise quarterback develops.