Kirk Cousins Joins Las Vegas Raiders in One-Year Deal to Mentor Rising Star Fernando Mendoza

TITLE: Kirk Cousins Joins Las Vegas Raiders in One-Year Deal to Mentor Rising Star Fernando Mendoza

Kirk Cousins is heading to Las Vegas. The 37-year-old quarterback signed a one-year deal with the Raiders, officially joining the team on Monday after a free agency that saw several teams juggle quarterback positions. The move gives the Raiders an experienced starter to lead their offense in 2026 while they prepare for the arrival of Heisman-winning rookie Fernando Mendoza.

Cousins becomes the fourth quarterback to lead the Raiders in the past two seasons. He replaces Geno Smith, who was traded to the Jets earlier this offseason. The Raiders also parted ways with head coach Pete Carroll, who led the team to a 3-13 record in 2025. New head coach Klint Kubiak, who previously worked with Cousins in Minnesota, will now have a familiar presence in the locker room.

"I can tell in just being here at the facility today that, from ownership to management, the resources are being put in place here to give us all we need to win," Cousins said via the team's Levi Edwards. "And now, us as players have got to go do it, but it starts there."

The move makes sense for both sides. The Raiders needed a veteran to lead their offense while Mendoza develops. Cousins, for his part, sees the opportunity as a chance to finish strong in his 15th NFL season. "For me, I got more football behind me than ahead of me," he said. "And as a result, I see my time here as a great opportunity to finish strong."

Cousins' deal is reportedly one year and worth $13 million, with $7 million guaranteed. The move frees up cap space for the Raiders, who had just over $20 million in cap room at the time of the deal. It also gives them a stable quarterback to work with as they build around young talents like tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty.

The quarterback carousel continued across the league this offseason. The Vikings signed Kyler Murray to a four-year, $230 million deal, while the Jets acquired Geno Smith in a trade with the Raiders. Meanwhile, the Cardinals released Murray, ending his brief tenure in Arizona.

Cousins brings a 64.5 career completion percentage and a 79.1 passer rating into his new role. He has started 185 games in his career and led the Vikings to three playoff appearances. Now, he'll look to help the Raiders climb out of the NFL's basement, where they finished 2025 with a 3-13 record.

"I think it's a team that has a lot of young talent and that they're building something special, and I want to be a part of that," Cousins said.

The Raiders will pick first in the 2026 draft, and the expectation is they'll select Mendoza with that pick on April 23. Until then, Cousins will serve as the veteran leader Kubiak wanted. The next step for the Raiders is to finalize their 2026 roster before training camp begins in late July.