Share and Follow
Kirk Cousins is set to command significant financial attention this season with the Raiders. The seasoned quarterback has agreed to terms with Las Vegas that will see him pocket a guaranteed $20 million for this year alone. This agreement, which includes a club option extending for two additional years at a potential $80 million, could see the deal balloon to as much as $172 million over the course of five years.
This substantial guarantee is a marked increase from the $10 million Cousins was set to receive from the Falcons before they decided to part ways in March. The decision came after two seasons that failed to meet expectations in their $180 million commitment.
Under the terms of Cousins’ deal with the Raiders, the franchise will provide a minimum base salary of $1.3 million. Meanwhile, the Falcons, who had previously secured Cousins with a four-year contract worth $100 million guaranteed in 2024, will still owe him $8.7 million in 2026. This financial arrangement was detailed by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Additionally, as part of this lucrative package, Cousins is set to receive a fully guaranteed $10 million roster bonus, payable on the third day of the new league year in 2027. This commitment underscores the Raiders’ belief in Cousins as a cornerstone for their offensive strategy moving forward.
The Las Vegas franchise will also pay Cousins a $10 million roster bonus that’s fully guaranteed on the third day of the new league year in 2027.
Cousins’ marriage with the Raiders marks the 11th straight season his contract will be fully guaranteed.
Through 2026, Cousins ranks in the top five of NFL career earnings, according to Spotrac, which placed his earnings at $331.1 million.
The quarterback — who also played for Washington and Minnesota — is in elite company with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford ($448.3 million), Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott ($337.8 million) and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady ($332.9 million), a minority owner of Cousins’ new team.
The Raiders have their eyes on the future with the No. 1 overall pick in this month’s draft, with the team largely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
If Mendoza joins Cousins, it’s likely the 37-year-old veteran will start, as first-year coach Klint Kubiak has been vocal about not wanting to throw a young signal caller into the lions’ den immediately.
“Ideally, you don’t want him to start day one. You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world,” Kubiak said Tuesday, according to ESPN. “It doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from day one, and it’s our job as a coach to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player, though, if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”
That plan was enacted in Cousins’ previous stop, when the Falcons stunningly drafted Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall after signing Cousins in free agency months prior.
The Falcons benched Cousins after a 7-7 start, but thrust him back into the action in 2025 when Penix went down with a torn ACL.
Cousins tossed 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions across 10 games last season.