Kirk Cousins had a bad 2025 season with the Atlanta Falcons. The franchise ended up third in the NFC South with an 8-9 record, and missed the playoffs, last making the postseason in the 2017 season.
They finally decided to release the veteran quarterback to save cap space and move on from him. However, he has now found a new team to play in the 2026 NFL season, though it is not being appreciated by the fans.
Las Vegas Raiders sign Kirk Cousins
According to the player’s agent Mike McCartney, the Raiders have signed Cousins on a free agency and already agreed terms with him. Though the details of the contract are unspecified yet, it seems Cousins will play for the Raiders in the next season. The Raiders are also expected to sign Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, who recently won the College Football Playoff National Championship with the Indiana Hoosiers and the Heisman Trophy.
NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins
Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) celebrates after a victory over the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Cousins had a poor 2025 campaign, appearing in only 10 games for the Falcons. He completed 166 of 269 pass attempts for 1,721 yards and 10 touchdowns with 5 interceptions. His signing could have been influenced by the fact that new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak worked with him during their time together at the Minnesota Vikings.
Cousins is expected to be a mentor to the young Mendoza and let him adjust to the NFL. Reports suggest that Kubiak does not wish to rush Mendoza into the starting role and wants to slowly let him adapt, eventually taking over the starting role.
It is yet unclear over which quarterback will be the clear starter, and whether Cousins’ arrival can impact the future signing of Mendoza. However, it remains to be seen what will be the outcome, though fans are already unhappy with this potential arrangement.
Fans angry at Kirk Cousins’ signing
Many Raiders fans felt that Cousins should not have been signed, and that he should not be the starter over Mendoza.
One user said, “Bro went from Minnesota nice guy to Antonio Pierce’s headache. Raiders finally admit they’re not winning anything soon, so they grab a safe, boring game manager to babysit the rookie while the defense carries another mediocre season. Congrats on the stability we’ll see how long before the memes start. Classic Raiders: big market, small ambition”.
A second user wrote, “Gonna be the same situation as Atlanta”.
A third user replied, “Suffer Through Watching Him This Season”.
Another added, “Statue O’Connell is terrible. Start Mendoza..”
A fifth user commented, “Damn. I hate this… How much cap space they wasting on him?? Now we gotta suffer through watching him this season while the QB we wanna see Mendoza is on the bench.. Mendoza is the first pick in the GD draft. Give him a GD chance to start. Let him battle OConnell”.
A sixth user remarked, “Wasting Another Year on a Game Manager”.
Kirk Cousins will have to prepare for the 2026 NFL season with heavy expectations on him.