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What Kirk Cousins signing means for Fernando Mendoza, Raiders QB depth chart originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Las Vegas Raiders are adding to their quarterback room by signing veteran QB Kirk Cousins, per his agent Mike McCartney.
Cousins, 37, was most recently with the Atlanta Falcons, playing through only the first two years of his initial four-year contract before being released. He will be joining his fourth NFL franchise.
He is expected to mentor Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, who is widely believed to be the No. 1 overall pick by Las Vegas in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
There has long been debate over whether to throw rookie quarterbacks into the fire or let them sit a year before taking over. If Mendoza is drafted first overall as expected, he likely will start Week 1, but the addition of Cousins does give the Raiders another option if they want to focus on the rookie QB's development.
Here is more on Cousins' signing with the Raiders.
MORE: How Fernando Mendoza's pro day confirmed Raiders should select him No. 1 overall
Kirk Cousins contract details
Cousins is signing a deal with the Raiders, though the exact terms have not been released. It is expected to be a one-year deal, and the salary will be interesting.
The Falcons will pay Cousins $10 million in 2026 as part of his signing bonus that is still owed to him. This could allow Las Vegas to sign him for the veteran minimum, and a significant salary could point towards the Raiders' plans to actually start Cousins to open the 2026 season.
Raiders QB depth chart
Cousins adds a veteran presence to the rebuilding Raiders quarterback room. Last year, the QB room in Las Vegas consisted of Geno Smith, Kenny Pickett and Aidan O'Connell. The Raiders traded Smith in the offseason to the New York Jets and Pickett left in free agency, signing a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Here is a look at the Raiders' updated QB room after signing Cousins.
| Pos. | Player |
| 1. | Kirk Cousins |
| 2. | Aidan O'Connell |
Las Vegas only has two quarterbacks on their active roster. The Raiders added the veteran Cousins to pair with O'Connell who is heading into his fourth season.
Kirk Cousins
Cousins was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. His entrance into the league was mired in some controversy just because that was the year that Washington used the second overall pick to select Robert Griffin III. Cousins spent six years in Washington before leaving for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.
After six years with the Vikings, Cousins and the franchise weren't on the same page and he joined the Atlanta Falcons on a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed. He was benched at the tail end of his first season for then-rookie Michael Penix Jr., who began the 2025 season as the starter. Cousins took back over after Penix suffered a season-ending injury, but didn't play well enough to stay in Atlanta.
After the Falcons released Cousins, they signed Tua Tagovailoa to be their veteran option behind Penix.
Aidan O'Connell
O'Connell was a fourth round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Purdue. He played in 11 games as a rookie and finished with 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. O'Connell only played in nine games in 2024, dealing with injuries and finished with 1,612 yards, eight touchdowns and four picks.
He saw nearly no action in 2025, backing up both Smith and Pickett. O'Connell played in only one game and had just 102 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
O'Connell doesn't project to be a factor in the quarterback room this year, unless he wins the QB2 job and Vegas just has Cousins on the team to mentor Mendoza if he is selected No. 1 overall.
MORE: Vinnie Iyer's latest 7-round 2026 NFL mock draft
Kirk Cousins career timeline
- Washington Commanders (2012-2017)
- Minnesota Vikings (2018-2023)
- Atlanta Falcons (2024-2025)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2026-present)
Washington Commanders
Cousins wasn't the starter for the first three years of his career. He started only 14 games from 2012 to 2014 and had 18 touchdowns to 19 interceptions. Cousins got his first chance to start consistently in 2015 after Griffin III had a preseason injury and was demoted to QB3 the entire season. As the starter, he played in all 16 games in 2015 and had 4,166 yards with 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. 2015 was also the year of Cousins' viral "You Like That?!" moment after he led a comeback against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where Washington trailed 24-0.
His best season came in 2016 when he played in all 16 games and threw for nearly 5,000 yards. After one more year in Washington, he and the franchise couldn't come to terms on a long-term deal. Instead, Cousins left for Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings
The veteran quarterback signed a three-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $84 million with the Vikings. Cousins to play well in Minnesota, at least during the regular season. He went 2-2 in the postseason with the Vikings, but in his first four seasons he had at least 26 touchdowns and no more than 13 interceptions in each year.
In his final season with Minnesota, Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and only played in eight games. He had 18 touchdowns and five interceptions with 2,331 yards. With the Vikings owning a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, all signs pointed to them drafting a rookie and starting over at the position so Cousins left in free agency.
Atlanta Falcons
The quarterback signed a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed. Cousins lost his Atlanta debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but led the team to a 6-3 record in his first nine games. Then, the Falcons lost four games in a row and ultimately the veteran QB was benched in favor of Penix Jr.
Cousins was the backup to begin the 2025 season, but ended up playing in 10 games after Penix dealt with injuries. He finished the year with 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Las Vegas Raiders
Cousins signed with the Raiders on April 2, 2026. He is a veteran presence in the QB room, but also gives new Las Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak an option to start at the beginning of the 2026 season if they don't want to rush Mendoza (or whichever rookie QB they draft). Kubiak coached Cousins for three years in Minnesota and has said that he believes in not rushing the development of a rookie quarterback.
MORE: Breaking down Fernando Mendoza's pro day performance
Kirk Cousins career earnings
Here is a look at how much money Cousins has made so far in his NFL career, provided by Spotrac.
| Year | Cash Total | Cash Cumulative |
| 2012 | $862,688 | $862,688 |
| 2013 | $480,000 | $1,342,688 |
| 2014 | $570,000 | $1,912,688 |
| 2015 | $824,007 | $2,736,695 |
| 2016 | $19,953,000 | $22,689,695 |
| 2017 | $23,950,935 | $46,640,430 |
| 2018 | $26,000,000 | $72,640,630 |
| 2019 | $28,000,000 | $100,640,630 |
| 2020 | $40,028,856 | $140,669,486 |
| 2021 | $21,000,000 | $161,669,486 |
| 2022 | $40,000,000 | $201,669,486 |
| 2023 | $30,000,000 | $231,669,486 |
| 2024 | $62,522,768 | $294,192,594 |
| 2025 | $27,500,000 | $321,694,254 |
| Total | $321,694,254 | $321,694,254 |
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