Kirk Cousins: Everything you need to know

During the team period of Wednesday's OTA practice, Cousins was the first quarterback on the field, Ryan McFadden of ESPN reports. Per the report, Cousins was followed by Aidan O'Connell and then No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, whom the Raiders continue to ease into their offense. While coach Klint Kubiak has yet to provide a timeline for when he'd like to name a starting QB, McFadden suggests that Cousins is the favorite to open the season as the team's No. 1 option, given his ample NFL experience and familiarity with Kubiak's offense. That said, Mendoza -- who has been "as advertised," per Kubiak -- does have time to change that narrative ahead of Week 1, and even if Cousins does handle signal-caller duties for Las Vegas out of the gate in 2026, there's little doubt that Mendoza will rise to the top of the depth chart eventually, given where he was drafted.

Cousins is set for a quarterback competition with rookie first overall pick Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports. The Raiders drafted Mendoza on Thursday after signing Cousins earlier in April. According to McFadden, the Raiders' top brass would prefer not to thrust a rookie quarterback into action immediately, but GM John Spytek said the best player will start. Cousins' edge in experience gives the veteran signal-caller a viable chance to beat out Mendoza, at least initially, though it wouldn't be surprising to see Mendoza eventually take over the starting job at some point during the 2026 regular season.

Cousins agreed Thursday with the Raiders on a contract, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports. After being cut by the Falcons earlier in the offseason, Cousins had drawn interest from several teams who were keen on bringing him aboard as a backup. He ultimately opted to head to Las Vegas, where he'll at least temporarily slot in atop the depth chart. The Raiders are widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft later this month, but Cousins -- who is in line to earn $20 million fully guaranteed for playing the 2026 season -- per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, could still emerge as the Week 1 starter if Las Vegas isn't eager to rush Mendoza into action right away to begin his NFL career. During his final season in Atlanta, Cousins made 10 appearances (eight starts) and completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 6.4 yards per attempt and a 10:5 TD:INT.