Raiders agree to contract with Cousins, expect Mendoza at No. 1
The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a contract with Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins on Thursday, his agent announced. Terms of the deal remain undisclosed. The move bolsters the Raiders' quarterback room ahead of an NFL draft in which they hold the No. 1 pick and are expected to select Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
Cousins, 37, joins Las Vegas after the Atlanta Falcons released him two seasons into a four-year contract that could have reached $180 million. He shares a prior working relationship with Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak, who served as his quarterbacks coach for two seasons and offensive coordinator for one during Cousins' time with the Minnesota Vikings. The Raiders traded Geno Smith to the New York Jets following one season.
Last season, Cousins appeared in 10 games with eight starts for Atlanta, completing 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Falcons went 5-3 in his starts, including victories in the final four. He ranks 19th in NFL history with 44,700 regular-season passing yards and 15th with 298 touchdown passes. Falcons coaches benched him in Week 15 of 2024 for rookie Michael Penix Jr. amid injury struggles, though he returned for seven starts after Penix tore his ACL.
Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek have expressed a preference against starting young quarterbacks immediately. Should Las Vegas select Mendoza first overall, the team might open the season with Cousins while the rookie develops.
