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A lot of speculation has heated up in recent weeks that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins could soon be landing with the Las Vegas Raiders under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak. And if it happens, it might sneakily end up being one of the best NFL free agent signings this offseason.
Of course, the Raiders are also widely expected to select 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the top overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and many assume the star Indiana quarterback will inherit the starting role for the Raiders as a rookie. Which isn't necessarily an unlikely assumption. But it also might leave some people questioning why Cousins is needed.
To start to answer that question, let's pose a hypothetical: Mendoza either isn't as ready to start in season one as people are expecting, or heaven forbid, suffers an injury that forces him to miss some action as a rookie. These things happen all the time – look at J.J. McCarthy.
Now, let's have a glance at the current quarterback room for the Raiders, which begins and ends with Aidan O'Connell, returning for his fourth season in the NFL. O'Connell is fine as backup. He earned 10 starts in 2023 and seven starts in 2024, and recorded a 7-10 record in those games. Last year, he appeared just once. Over his career, he has passed for 3,932 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
But find a better, more experienced potential backup in the league right now than Kirk Cousins. He's no spring chicken, entering his 15th season in the league, but quarterbacks routinely last longer these days and age hasn't slowed him a ton. He was the starting quarterback for an NFL team every season from 2015-2024, and started eight games for the Falcons in 2025 after Michael Penix Jr. was injured.
Cousins has an 88-77-2 record as a starter in the NFL, has led two different franchises to a combined three NFL playoff appearances, and has passed for 44,700 yards, 298 touchdowns, and 131 interceptions over his 14 seasons. He was the 2015 NFL completion percentage leader, is a four-time Pro Bowler, and is tied with Matthew Stafford for the most game-winning drives (8) and fourth quarter comebacks (8) in a single season.
That's an incredible resume, and it's not like his best years are behind him – he went 5-3 last season as a starter with the Falcons, and went 13-4 with a playoff appearance in 2022 as a starter with the Vikings. The man can still play, and it's very possible that if he ends up in Las Vegas, they'll need him to play, despite their grand designs for Mendoza.
And then you have the mentorship aspect. Cousins could never start a game for the Raiders and proved to be a valuable asset for the franchise. Mendoza would benefit greatly from a veteran quarterback to teach him, and Cousins has been around the league at multiple stops and has seen a lot.
Cousins knows what it's like to battle adversity as a young signal caller in the league – both struggling in starting opportunities and fighting for a chance as a backup. He dealt with returning from a season-ending injury and starting the next season. He is at the stage of his career where he has a treasure trove of knowledge to pass along, and his consistent play over the years makes it clear he knows the game.
So if the Kirk Cousins to Las Vegas move does eventually come to fruition, expect it to work out well for the franchise. Really, it's one of the smartest free agent moves they could make.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Why Kirk Cousins to the Raiders is the perfect NFL offseason move
Continue reading...
Of course, the Raiders are also widely expected to select 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the top overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and many assume the star Indiana quarterback will inherit the starting role for the Raiders as a rookie. Which isn't necessarily an unlikely assumption. But it also might leave some people questioning why Cousins is needed.
Kirk Cousin and Fernando Mendoza a perfect potential pairing
To start to answer that question, let's pose a hypothetical: Mendoza either isn't as ready to start in season one as people are expecting, or heaven forbid, suffers an injury that forces him to miss some action as a rookie. These things happen all the time – look at J.J. McCarthy.
Now, let's have a glance at the current quarterback room for the Raiders, which begins and ends with Aidan O'Connell, returning for his fourth season in the NFL. O'Connell is fine as backup. He earned 10 starts in 2023 and seven starts in 2024, and recorded a 7-10 record in those games. Last year, he appeared just once. Over his career, he has passed for 3,932 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
But find a better, more experienced potential backup in the league right now than Kirk Cousins. He's no spring chicken, entering his 15th season in the league, but quarterbacks routinely last longer these days and age hasn't slowed him a ton. He was the starting quarterback for an NFL team every season from 2015-2024, and started eight games for the Falcons in 2025 after Michael Penix Jr. was injured.
Cousins has an 88-77-2 record as a starter in the NFL, has led two different franchises to a combined three NFL playoff appearances, and has passed for 44,700 yards, 298 touchdowns, and 131 interceptions over his 14 seasons. He was the 2015 NFL completion percentage leader, is a four-time Pro Bowler, and is tied with Matthew Stafford for the most game-winning drives (8) and fourth quarter comebacks (8) in a single season.
That's an incredible resume, and it's not like his best years are behind him – he went 5-3 last season as a starter with the Falcons, and went 13-4 with a playoff appearance in 2022 as a starter with the Vikings. The man can still play, and it's very possible that if he ends up in Las Vegas, they'll need him to play, despite their grand designs for Mendoza.
And then you have the mentorship aspect. Cousins could never start a game for the Raiders and proved to be a valuable asset for the franchise. Mendoza would benefit greatly from a veteran quarterback to teach him, and Cousins has been around the league at multiple stops and has seen a lot.
Cousins knows what it's like to battle adversity as a young signal caller in the league – both struggling in starting opportunities and fighting for a chance as a backup. He dealt with returning from a season-ending injury and starting the next season. He is at the stage of his career where he has a treasure trove of knowledge to pass along, and his consistent play over the years makes it clear he knows the game.
So if the Kirk Cousins to Las Vegas move does eventually come to fruition, expect it to work out well for the franchise. Really, it's one of the smartest free agent moves they could make.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Why Kirk Cousins to the Raiders is the perfect NFL offseason move
Continue reading...
