Kirk Cousins' time as an NFL starter isn't over just yet. The 37-year-old reportedly signed a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, his agent announced Thursday.
With the move, Cousins could open the season as the team's starter as it prepares presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza to eventually take over.
Cousins, himself, confirmed the news with a simple three-word post on X:
"The Autumn Wind" is a poem adapted for the Raiders back in 1974, written by NFL Films co-founder Steve Sabol.
Cousins will reportedly sign a one-year, fully-guaranteed $20 million deal with the Raiders, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal is far more complex than that, but essentially works out to be a one-year deal.
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The move reunites Cousins with new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, who was Cousins' quarterbacks coach and eventual offensive coordinator when the two were with the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins reportedly had interest from ahandful of other teams, including the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, but ultimatelyopted to join Kubiak in Las Vegas, per The Athletic.
The news comes a day after Mendoza — who the Raiders are expected to select with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft — had his pro day. The Cousins signing likely isn't a commentary on how the Raiders felt about Mendoza's performance at his pro day, as Kubiak has talked about his preference fornot using a rookie starter immediately, per NFL.com.
"Ideally, you don't want him to start from Day 1," Kubiak said Tuesday. "You'd love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That's in a perfect world. It doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from Day 1, and it's our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show."
That sentiment makes it seems likely Cousins will open the 2026 NFL season as the Raiders' starter. That could change depending on how both players perform in training camp and in the preseason, but Cousins looks to have a leg up on Mendoza for now.
Cousins opened last season in a backup role for the Atlanta Falcons behind Michael Penix Jr. But an injury to Penix opened the door for Cousins to shift back into a starting role down the stretch. In 10 games – eight starts — Cousins threw 10 touchdowns against five interceptions.
After considering his options during the offseason, Cousins ultimately landed with the Raiders. The move could give him one more shot to prove himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL, though it seems unlikely he'll remain in that role for long with Mendoza likely waiting in the wings.
Kirk Cousins' time as an NFL starter isn't over just yet. The 37-year-old reportedly signed a deal with the Las ...
