The Raiders have plenty of mountain left to climb. Las Vegas finished as the worst team in the NFL in 2025, failing tremendously to deliver on the hopeful expectations that came with the arrivals of Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith.
Both are now gone. In their places are new head coach Klint Kubiak and Cousins, with space saved for Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy-winning QB from Indiana whom most everyone expects the Raiders to select with the No. 1 pick of the 2026 draft on April 23.
At the NFL’s Annual League Meeting last week in Phoenix, Kubiak revealed he’d prefer to enter 2026 with a veteran atop his quarterback depth chart in order to provide his offense with a mature leader capable of guiding the unit into their new world. A few days later, Cousins agreed to a deal with the Raiders, addressing Kubiak’s desire under center by handing him the veteran he sought, one who is willing to execute Kubiak’s vision.
“Going into Year 15 now, [I’m] trying to set a standard in the locker room,” Cousins said. “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.”
For Cousins, he could have explored a few options as a free agent following Atlanta’s decision to part with him earlier this offseason. His chances of a return to Minnesota dried up when the Vikings signed Kyler Murray shortly after the Cardinals released him, and once the Jets acquired Smith via trade with the Raiders, that landing spot disappeared, too.
Las Vegas became the best fit for Cousins, giving the Raiders an immediate starting option to throw into the lineup. More importantly, Cousins provides Kubiak — for whom Cousins played in Minnesota, where Kubiak served as QBs coach and offensive coordinator from 2019-2021 — with an experienced veteran who can handle the duties of the job while the Raiders get Mendoza acclimated and prepared to eventually take the field.
“I think it starts with the coaching staff. I was really excited to be able to work with coaches I worked with before,” Cousins told the team’s Amber Theoharis. “I had some of my best years playing with them.”
Cousins also spoke to the opportunity to play with up-and-coming players like tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty as part of the appeal to heading to the desert.
“I think it’s a team that has a lot of young talent and that they’re building something special, and I want to be a part of that,” Cousins said.
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