Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders are prepping for the arrival of Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be drafted at No 1 on April 23. However, head coach Klint Kubiak also has a plan B – Kirk Cousins. On Thursday, the veteran quarterback’s agent confirmed that the 37-year-old has agreed to a contract with the Raiders. Is is good news? Well, not for Mendoza.
With the deal, Cousins will reunite with Kubiak, who was his position coach and offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings from 2019-21.
Why Kirk Cousins joining Raiders is good and bad news for Fernando Mendoza
Cousins potentially could serve as a mentor for Heisman Trophy winner Mendoza, widely expected to be Raiders’ top target in the 2026 Draft. The only quarterback on the team’s current roster is Aidan O’Connell, a 2023 fourth-round pick who started 17 games from 2023-24 (7-10 record).
However, it is very much a possibility that Cousins will start for the Raiders. If he does well, Mendoza could be pushed to the bench in his rookie season. And the former Vikings and Falcons QB’s special connection with the head coach only works in his favor.
“Ideally, you don’t want [a rookie QB] to start from Day 1. You’d love for him to learn behind somebody. That’s a perfect world. It doesn’t always work out that way,” Kubiak had said about the QB position recently.
Cousins was released by the Atlanta Falcons on March 11, two years into a four-year, $180 million deal he signed with the club in March 2024.
Cousins struggled down the stretch during his first season with the Falcons in 2024, throwing 18 touchdowns to 16 interceptions and losing the starting job to rookie Michael Penix Jr. He played better when he stepped in for Penix after the latter’s season-ending injury last November, throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 TDs and five picks in eight starts.
Over 174 games (167 starts) in 14 seasons, Cousins has completed 66.7% of his passes for 44,700 yards with 298 TDs and 131 interceptions.
(With inputs from Reuters)
