When Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said he preferred a rookie quarterback sit and develop in Year 1, it no doubt turned heads with the Raiders slated to draft Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick later this month in the NFL Draft.
After all, the expectation is always that a quarterback drafted with the top pick in the NFL Draft will be a starter right out of the gate.
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“Ideally, you don’t want him to start from Day 1,” Kubiak said of a rookie signal-caller. “You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world. It doesn’t always work out that way.”
Kubiak went on to add that he thinks the rookie should “sit behind a mature adult” in order to better learn how to play the position in the NFL.
Well, now the Raiders have that mature adult.
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Raiders sign Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins — Quarterback
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) scrambles against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
According to his agent, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has signed with the Raiders and will now add to a quarterbacks room that currently only includes Aidan O’Connell.
It’s a great signing for the Raiders, as they needed a better veteran insurance policy for the incoming rookie Mendoza. Adding to that, Cousins can show Mendoza the ropes and will certainly play a huge part in the Indiana product’s development.
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But how the Raiders use that insurance policy remains to be seen.
Based on Cousins’ Raiders contract, it would appear that him starting in Week 1 over Mendoza is very much on the table.
Kirk Cousins contract details
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) celebrates after a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Cousins’ new deal with the Raiders is essentially a one-year, $20 million contract, with $8.7 million coming from the Falcons from his previous contract, and another $11.3 million coming from the Raiders.
Of that $11.3 million, the Raiders will pay $10 million of it as a roster bonus in 2027.
The contract also includes a two-year, $80 million option for 2027-28, but it would be quite shocking if Las Vegas ever picks that up.
So, the Raiders are basically paying Cousins $11.3 million for one year of service, which would amount to a hefty contract if he is only being brought in to back up Mendoza.
How Cousins’ contract compares to other backups
Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) walks to the medical tent during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
The highest-paid backup quarterback in the NFL based on annual average right now is Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Justin Fields, but his $11 million salary is a result of a bad deal from the New York Jets that the Chiefs acquired part of in a recent trade after Fields failed miserably as the Jets’ starter in 2025.
If we’re looking for the true highest-paid backup quarterback, that title belongs to Marcus Mariota of the Washington Commanders, who is making $7 million this season.
That means Cousins jumped Mariota’s deal by a little over $4 million, a sizeable gap between the two veterans.
What this all means is we need to really take the possibility of Cousins being the Raiders’ Week 1 starter seriously. Kubiak’s comments about sitting a rookie quarterback in his first season weren’t just lip service to temper expectations for Mendoza.
We would still expect there to be a legitimate competition between the two, but it should no longer be surprising if it’s Cousins, not Mendoza, throwing passes to Raiders receivers to begin the 2026 campaign.