If the Atlanta Falcons hadn’t released QB Kirk Cousins in the offseason, they would have an answer for who their starting QB would be.
It’s understandable why the Falcons wanted to offload Cousins’ massive contract off their hands, but they still owe Cousins a good chunk of the contract they gave him, and he’s now a starting QB for another NFL team.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Kirk Cousins will be the Las Vegas Raiders‘ starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2026 season.
Kirk Cousins Named Raiders Starting QB
Kirk Cousins has officially been named the Raiders’ starting QB.
Very notably, the Raiders selected QB Francisco Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Las Vegas is opting to take the cautious route with their future franchise signal caller.
NFL.com’s Grant Gordon wrote (about Cousins):
“The 38-year-old will lead a Raiders squad that went 3-14 last season and still features massive question marks on its offensive line and wide receiver corps. Conceivably, Cousins can shepherd a new-look offense through its growing pains before Mendoza is given the reins. Las Vegas doesn’t have its bye until Week 13, nor do the Raiders currently have a Thursday or Monday game on the schedule, so it’s anyone’s guess as to when that could happen.”
Looking at Kirk Cousins’ Tenure with the Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins had a very up-and-down tenure with the Atlanta Falcons over two seasons.
He signed a massive contract to be the Falcons’ quarterback for several years, but he struggled in his first year in Atlanta, which led to his benching in favor of Michael Penix Jr.
However, when Penix Jr. tore his ACL in 2o25, Cousins took over and started to lead the Falcons to some wins, which revitalized his career and led to the Raiders signing him to a one-year deal.
Across 22 starts with the Falcons, Cousins held a QB record of 12-10 and passed for 5229 yards and 28 touchdowns, but he threw 21 interceptions as well.
In 2025, Cousins went 5-3, completed 62% of hi passes, and threw for 1721 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The big bugaboo for Cousins in his Falcons tenure was his 16 interceptions during the 2024 season.
Atlanta Falcons Former QB Named Raiders Starter