Kirk Cousins Reunites with Former Vikings Coach
The Las Vegas Raiders hired former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new head coach a couple of months ago, and ex-Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will join him in Sin City.
The Raiders finally made the Cousins move, pairing him with a familiar coach and a clear short-term mission.
Cousins cashed in a payday again on Thursday, finalizing an agreement to help bring presumptive first overall pick Fernando Mendoza into the NFL in 2026.
Las Vegas Pulled the Trigger on Cousins
The bank account grows for Cousins.
Raiders Sign Cousins
Some rumors suggested within the last month that Las Vegas could take the plunge with Cousins as a bridge quarterback, and those rumors were right.
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote, “The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to terms with Kirk Cousins on Thursday, two days after new coach Klint Kubiak said he wanted to add another veteran quarterback to the roster. Cousins’ agent announced the deal, which will pay the four-time Pro Bowler $20 million in guaranteed money in 2026, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.”
“It will mark the 11th consecutive season that Cousins’ contract will be fully guaranteed. The deal also includes a club option for two years at $80 million and could be worth up to $172 million over five years, the source told Schefter, although only the $20 million this year is fully guaranteed.”
That’s four teams in Cousins’s 15-season career: the Washington Commanders, Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and Raiders.
New Money
Per Schefter, Cousins is locked in for $20 million fully guaranteed in 2026, with some layers baked into the contract. On paper, it’s a five-year, $172 million deal, but in reality, it functions as a one-year, $20 million arrangement.
When the Falcons booted Cousins last month, many wondered if Cousins would sign a team-friendly deal for the very first time, accepting the league minimum, a phenomenon completely opposite of his money-hungry personality.
The answer was no.
Cousins did not take a discount or anything close to it, once again maximizing his wallet above all else. He earned $100 million guaranteed in Atlanta for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and now it’s on to Las Vegas for $20 million more.
When you hear folks call Cousins a Hall-of-Fame wallet stuffer, know that those statements are true. The Raiders can also opt into a two-year, $80 million option for Cousins next offseason, which won’t be necessary if Mendoza’s development is on schedule.
In fact, “Where will Cousins sign?” will probably be a storyline again in nine months.
Weapons in Las Vegas
So, what will Cousins get to play with in Las Vegas? A mid-tier weaponry arrangement. It’s worth noting that Cousins arguably constructed the best season of his career in 2021 with Kubiak as his offensive boss; maybe he can turn back the clock. Cousins did not perform well in Atlanta last season, ranking in the league’s bottom tier per EPA+CPOE, despite having the NFL’s best running back behind him in Bijan Robinson.
In Las Vegas, Cousins will distribute the ball to these players:
- Ashton Jeanty (RB)
- Brock Bowers (TE)
- Jalen Nailor (WR)
- Tre Tucker (WR)
- Jack Bech (WR)
- Dont’e Thornton (WR)
- Michael Mayer (WR)
Yes, the Raiders are in dire need of WR help; former Viking Jalen Nailor might be the club’s WR1.
Probably a Brief Arrangement at QB1
Of course, the Cousins news is splashy on April 2nd. He projects as the Week 1 starter at his new price point. But when the dust settles after the draft, most will realize that Cousins was signed in April for patchover-passer duty.
Kubiak said this week, “Ideally, you don’t want him to start from Day 1. 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.”
Assuming the Raiders don’t want to thrust Mendoza into action immediately in September, Cousins can hold down the fort for a few weeks until Kubiak deems Mendzona ready for the bright lights of the regular season.
There’s a chance the Raiders take off and post a winning record out of the gate, but if they do not, it will only be a matter of time before Cousins returns to his QB2 and mentor role.
Cousins will turn 38 in August. The Raiders are expected to win five or six games in 2026, which would be a marked improvement after posting a lousy 3-14 mark last season.
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