Kevin O'Connell, Kirk Cousins
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Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell talks with Kirk Cousins #18 of the Atlanta Falcons.
Kirk Cousins wants to start somewhere in the NFL next season, but the Pittsburgh Steelers represent the best chance of that happening, and that chance may be dwindling.
Cousins to Pittsburgh remains in the hypothetical stages as the team waits to hear what Aaron Rodgers‘ plans are heading into his age-43 campaign. But if Rodgers wants to come back, new Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy — who coached the QB for over a decade with the Green Bay Packers — and the rest of the Steelers organization are likely to welcome him back into the fold.
That outcome would wipe Pittsburgh off Cousins’ wish list, just as the possibility of a reunion with the Minnesota Vikings vanished once the team inked Kyler Murray to a one-year deal on a veterans minimum contract earlier this month.
The Cleveland Browns, where Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson appear likely to compete for the starting job this offseason, and the Arizona Cardinals, where Gardner Minshew just signed a one-year contract as a potential placeholder until the 2027 draft, are both potential landing spots for Cousins.
However, the Las Vegas Raiders have emerged as the most likely destination after Bob Labriola of Steelers.com wrote that Cousins is a “hard no” in his mind as a Rodgers alternative.
“I am a hard-no on Kirk Cousins,” Labriola wrote.
Kirk Cousins Could Start for Raiders Until Fernando Mendoza Ready to Assume QB1 Role
fernando mendoza
GettyIndiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders just traded Geno Smith to the New York Jets and hold the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft, where essentially every mock draft available predicts Las Vegas will select Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.
But while it will behoove the Raiders to get Mendoza on the field as quickly as possible, the team won’t likely compete for the playoffs in the AFC West Division in 2026. Because of that, Las Vegas doesn’t have to rush Mendoza into a starting role.
That leaves an opening for a veteran like Cousins to join the position group on a one-year deal and grab a handful of starts to begin the season. If things go poorly, Mendoza will likely take over sooner than later. But if the Raiders play above expectations with Cousins under center, there is a chance he could hold onto the starting role for the majority of the season, if not the entire campaign.
There is also Cousins’ history with new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak to consider.
“Cousins would obviously prefer to go to a team where he might be able to start, but with those options drying up, the Raiders would make a lot of sense,” John Breech of CBS Sports wrote. “For one, this would reunite him with Klint Kubiak. The Raiders new head coach spent three seasons (2019-21) in Minnesota with Cousins.”
Kirk Cousins Doesn’t Have Longterm Starting Option Anywhere in NFL
Kirk Cousins
GettyFree agent quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Starting roles with the Browns or Cardinals wouldn’t likely last much beyond one year either, as both teams profile as suitors for rookie QBs during a strong class at the position in 2027, and both are likely to pick high in the first round one year from now.
That brings the conversation back around to Pittsburgh as perhaps the one place Cousins could find runway as a starter beyond just 2026, however improbable that outcome might be. But that opportunity will remain a hypothetical until Rodgers announces his retirement, assuming he eventually does.
Until then, Las Vegas figures to be the best bet for Cousins to at least get a chance to start Week 1 and see how things play out from there.