Getty Tom Telesco & Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders‘ new regime is in place and that means the search for a quarterback will begin soon. General manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce were both non-committal on Aidan O’Connell, which means that they’re keeping their options open.
One of those options could be Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. The four-time Pro Bowler is set to hit free agency and the Raiders are considered the favorites (+400) to sign him, according to January 23 odds posted by Bookies.com.
🏈 Kirk Cousins 2024 Team Odds
Las Vegas Raiders +400
Atlanta Falcons +425
New England Patriots +500
Minnesota Vikings +600
Washington Commanders +750
Pittsburgh Steelers +950
Denver Broncos +1200
Seattle Seahawks +1400
The Field +650
Via: @BookiesAdam
This shift in odds comes not long after star wide receiver Davante Adams said that Cousins was one of the quarterbacks he wants to play with. Adams spent several years playing against Cousins while he was in the NFC North as a member of the Green Bay Packers so he knows the quarterback well.
Cousins has been a good fit with the Vikings and Minnesota doesn’t pick until No. 11 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. It may be difficult for them to land the next franchise quarterback unless they trade up. Both sides could decide that it’s better for them to stay together for at least another year. If not, the Raiders could be one of the teams interested.
Concerns With a Kirk Cousins Signing
The biggest problem with the Raiders potentially signing Kirk Cousins this offseason is that it’s a short-term fix for a long-term problem. The team tried that with Jimmy Garoppolo last year and that failed as he was benched after just six starts.
Similar to Garoppolo last year, Cousins is coming off of a major injury. He tore his Achilles during the 2023 season and that could lead to him missing much of the offseason. Cousins will be 36 when the 2024 season starts so it’s fair to be concerned with his recovery from such a serious injury.
That said, Cousins had thrown for 25 or more touchdowns in eight straight seasons before having his 2023 season cut short. He’s an effective quarterback and would be one of the better stopgap options the Raiders could find as they continue to look for their quarterback of the future.
Antonio Pierce Plans to Work Closely With Tom Telesco
Regardless of what the plan is at quarterback, general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce plan to work closely together to figure it out. Piere made it clear that the two need to have a strong relationship for the Raiders to have success.
“As this relationship grows, like anything else, it’s going to have its ups and downs,” Pierce said during the January 24 introductory press conference. “We’ve got to be adults and grown men about it. We’ve got to hash it out. We’ve got to understand our roles, check our egos at the door, like everybody else in the building, but understand that we’ve got a plan, and that plan is to do it together, be hand in hand with it. Obviously, if he goes down, I go down. That’s just how it is. That’s the nature of the beast. We get it. But that’s not our plan. Our plan is to win, put a team in place that is competitive each and every week and gives ourselves an opportunity to win.”