Kirk Cousins opens up about signing with Raiders ahead of expected Fernando Mendoza decision

Quarterback Kirk Cousins is now officially a member of the Las Vegas Raiders after he signed what is basically a one-year, $20M contract with the club.

During a recent chat with Levi Edwards of the Raiders' website, Cousins opened up about joining the franchise that is expected to make Indiana Hoosiers star Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Kirk Cousins understands reality of his football situation

"For me, I got more football behind me than ahead of me," the 37-year-old said. "And as a result, I see my time here as a great opportunity to finish strong. To leave a mark, to hopefully send things in the right direction, such that when I'm done playing, I can be proud of not only what we did in my time here in Vegas, but then what the Raiders are still doing."

Most recently, Cousins went 5-2 and tallied 10 touchdown passes with five interceptions over the final seven weeks of the 2025 season while serving as the Atlanta Falcons' temporary QB1. He previously lost the Atlanta QB1 gig to 2024 first-round draft choice Michael Penix Jr. in December 2024, and the new Falcons regime clearly had no real interest in giving Cousins a chance to reclaim the job this summer even though Penix is recovering from surgery he needed to repair a partially torn ACL.

What Kirk Cousins wants to offer Raiders 

Considering the money attached to his deal, Cousins likely will open the 2026 season as Las Vegas' starter unless Mendoza performs at a level throughout training camp and the preseason that makes him unbenchable. While Cousins hopes to play well enough to keep Mendoza sidelined through at least January, the veteran also understands why the Raiders want him sharing a quarterback room with a top-tier prospect. 

"Going into Year 15 now, [I'm] trying to set a standard in the locker room," Cousins added during his comments. "...Just trying to be an available resource to everybody in the locker room that would want to ask questions or want to learn about what my journey has been like in this league, I'd love to help them anyway that I can."

If Mendoza ultimately thrives because he was able to spend even a portion of his rookie season developing as a backup, Cousins could prove to be one of the best signings of the offseason.