Raiders’ contract with new quarterback Kirk Cousins means one important detail about the 2027 season is getting overlooked
The Las Vegas Raiders signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a pretty decent deal, as he will now serve as the leader in the QB room, with rookie Fernando Mendoza as the backup.
The Las Vegas Raiders have chosen veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to mentor Fernando Mendoza as the latter prepares for his NFL career. Cousins is considered an ideal fit for this developmental role.
They have their guy and plan to draft another when they select Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall in 2026.
Kirk Cousins’ deal means the Raiders could have their two QBs for 2027
They signed Cousins to a complicated deal when you lay it all out. But, here’s how it’s broken down, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network: “Falcons pay $8.7M in 2026, with the Raiders paying the $1.3 minimum base salary. Raiders pay Cousins a $10M, fully guaranteed roster bonus on the third day of the league year next March, which is not subject to offsets. Raiders hold a two-year, $80M option for 2027-28, which is unlikely (though not impossible) to be picked up. The deal also includes two void years in 2029-30 for cap purposes. On paper, it’s a three-year, $81.3M deal (or five for $172M with the void years). In reality, it’s a one-year, $20 million deal for Kirk Cousins, who will now have played under fully guaranteed contracts for 11 consecutive seasons.
According to Pelissero, the structure of Kirk Cousins’ deal means he’s likely to be on the Raiders a year from now; unless the option is exercised, he’ll be a free agent again next March.
You just hope this doesn’t backfire for the Raiders, as similar moves often do. Jimmy Garoppolo’s deal flopped. Gardner Minshew and Geno Smith were also costly missteps. Paying aging veteran QBs hasn’t worked for the Raiders.
Cousins is 37. He can still start if Mendoza isn’t ready. Cousins played 10 games and had 284 dropbacks in 2025, first as a backup, while Atlanta dealt with injuries. Advanced stats show he was better than Geno Smith.
Among players with at least 100 pass attempts last season, Cousins ranked seventh in Catchable Ball Percentage (89.5%) and sixth in On Target Percentage (78.1%), per Sports Info Solutions. This move could also be huge for Vegas.
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