Kirk Cousins expected to sign with Raiders as bridge quarterback to mentor potential draft pick Mendoza
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) scrambles against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek and coach Klint Kubiak both said there was no rush to start a rookie at quarterback, even though the team is expected to take Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in this month's NFL draft, it appears they've landed a veteran who can mentor and take the snaps early on.
Kirk Cousins will reportedly sign with the Raiders, per Mike McCartney. Congrats @KirkCousins8 agreeing to a contract with the @Raiders — Mike McCartney (@MikeMcCartney7) April 2, 2026 Cousins has 14 years invested in the league, having played for Washington, Minnesota and Atlanta. The 37-year-old ranks sixth in the NFL with both 3,934 completions and 44,700 yards passing since entering the league.
His 298 passing touchdowns are the fifth-most since 2012. With 35 collegiate starts under his belt, some believe Mendoza is ready to assume the QB1 role at the highest level immediately. Kubiak said otherwise at the annual league meeting on Tuesday.
"I think in a perfect world, he’s watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team," Kubiak said about a rookie quarterback watching and learning from a veteran. "But, the situation is, you might have that player, you might not have that veteran to show him the way. So he might come in and have to play immediately.
"But, you’d rather him learn, learn before he gets in the game. You don’t always get to pick. It doesn’t work out the exact way you want it to.