Kirk Cousins has found his new NFL home, and it will be with the Las Vegas Raiders. Kirk Cousins’ agent was the one who broke the news, but ESPN.com was quick to break it from there.
“Terms of the deal were not immediately available. Cousins will sign with the Raiders less than a month after being released by the Atlanta Falcons.”
“Cousins will join a Raiders team that is widely expected to select quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft later this month.”
More NFL on Heavy: Falcons GM Delivers Big Update on WR Drake London’s Future
Kirk Cousins Tenure with Atlanta
Kirk Cousins received a hefty four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons before the 2024 season. Six weeks after the Falcons signed the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Atlanta drafted Michael Penix Jr. with a top-10 pick in the NFL draft.
He will likely (certainly) serve as a backup QB to Mendoza once he is drafted first overall and acclimates to the Raiders’ system. However, Cousins is about as quality of a backup you can gave in the NFL.
When Penix Jr. tore his ACL towards the mid-way mark of last season, Cousins stepped right in and led the Falcons to a 5-3 record in the final eight games of the season. In 2025, Cousins completed 62% of his passes for 1,721 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
En route to being benched in 2024, he led the NFL with 16 interceptions in 14 games.
More NFL on Heavy: Falcons President Matt Ryan Shares the Truth About QB Competition in ATL
Kirk Cousins Finds Another NFL Job
Kirk Cousins, now 37 years old, will likely ride out into the sunset of his NFL career in a backup role.
However, there was no doubt he was going to be able to find another NFL gig before it’s all said and done. The 14-year NFL veteran has 298 career touchdowns, so he may be aiming to get a couple more to reach the 300 mark, which would be a huge accomplishment for Kirk.
Additionally, another 300 passing yards would give Cousins a round 45,000 for his career.
The Raiders will be his fourth NFL organization.
More NFL on Heavy: Kyle Pitts Gets Concerning Update on Falcons Future
Kirk Cousins Signs with Las Vegas Raiders to Potentially Backup Fernando Mendoza