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Former Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins.
After two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Kirk Cousins was released by the team earlier in March, becoming a free agent once again.
While it may have taken a little longer for Cousins to land with a new team, he ended up signing with the Las Vegas Raiders on April 2.
Cousins once again found his way into another lucrative deal, considering he’ll be 38 years old at the start of the season and coming off a subpar two-year stretch in Atlanta.
Cousins agreed to what is essentially a one-year, $11.3 million deal with the Raiders, according to Spotrac. He’ll be owed a guaranteed $1.3 million in 2026, along with a $10 million roster bonus in 2027 that carries no offset. The Falcons will still be on the hook for $8.7 million of his 2026 salary.
Reviewing how the deal is structured, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says it could say a lot about Cousins’ role in 2026.
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Contract Structure Points to Starting Role for Kirk Cousins
Well before Cousins was signed, the Raiders were expected to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick. That would seemingly put Cousins in a similar situation to what he experienced in Atlanta with Michael Penix Jr.
Rapoport believes this time could be different.
“Most importantly, the money seems to indicate Kirk Cousins could and maybe should end up being the starting quarterback to begin the 2026 season, even with the Raiders likely selecting Fernando Mendoza,” Rapoport said.
That aligns with what new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has hinted at if Mendoza is indeed the pick.
“Ideally you don’t want him to start from Day 1. You’d love for him to be able to learn from somebody,” Kubiak said, per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall.
Even Cousins himself told This Is Football’s Kevin Clark that he believes teams should be more patient with young quarterbacks.
“There was a time when Aaron Rodgers got drafted and sat for three years. Carson Palmer got drafted and sat for a year,” Cousins said. “But there are teams that have said that was the plan and then Week 4, 5, 6 the guy is playing.”
For Cousins, this is likely his last real opportunity to secure a starting job in the NFL. His options were already limited after his release from Atlanta, and now he’ll have to make the most of his situation in Las Vegas — all while preparing for the future with Mendoza potentially waiting behind him, similar to Penix.
Kirk Cousins Enters Raiders Situation on His Own Terms
This situation with the Raiders is different from what Cousins experienced in Atlanta.
As ESPN’s Mike Greenberg — and Adam Schefter previously — pointed out while on The Pat McAfee Show, Cousins was blindsided by the Falcons’ decision to draft Penix. That won’t be the case this time around.
“Kirk Cousins did not choose to go to Atlanta with Michael Penix there,” Greenberg said. “Kirk Cousins went to Atlanta believing he was going to be the starting quarterback, no questions asked. Then they blindside him by taking Penix and then he ends up in a role where he’s part starter, part mentor.”
Greenberg added that this time, Cousins is fully aware of the situation.
He is choosing it.
With Mendoza expected to be the future of the franchise, Cousins enters this opportunity knowing exactly what’s ahead — a chance to start now, while helping bridge the gap to what comes next.
Shane Shoemaker Shane Shoemaker is a sports journalist covering college football and the NFL for Heavy.com. His work has also appeared in The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, USA TODAY, and ClutchPoints, along with high school sports coverage for the Marion Tribune. More about Shane Shoemaker
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