Packers were among teams interested in adding QB Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins signed with the Raiders on Thursday, but the Packers were among the teams interested in Cousins as a backup option, per The Athletic.
At the league meetings this week, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed his team had, at the very least, "discussed" the idea of adding veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. After Cousins signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, a report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic listed the Packers among the "several teams" interested in signing Cousins. Others included the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals.
“We’ve discussed a lot of those options. Obviously, (Cousins is) a guy who’s got a lot of pelts on the wall in this league, so we’ve certainly discussed all those kind of things, and we’ll see where it goes," Gutekunst said on Monday. Three days later, Cousins is now off the board.
His deal with the Raiders includes $20 million fully guaranteed, a number the Packers likely never would have matched. In Las Vegas, Cousins is expected to get a chance to start as the veteran bridge quarterback during the 2026 season. In Green Bay, Cousins would have been the backup behind Jordan Love.
The interest in Cousins suggests the Packers still want a veteran behind Love. Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (18 career starts) and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord (2025 draft pick) are the current backups on the roster. Other veterans available include Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garappolo, Tyrod Taylor, Cooper Rush, Teddy Bridgewater, Brett Rypien and Easton Stick.