Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins during an NFL game.
The Green Bay Packers were legitimately in on Kirk Cousins as their backup quarterback this offseason, but fell short when the 14-year NFL veteran signed a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders Thursday.
Dianna Russini reported the Packers were among three teams interested in Cousins, who would have served as QB2 in Green Bay behind Jordan Love. The other two were the Los Angeles Rams, who were also looking for a backup, and the Arizona Cardinals, where Cousins might have gotten the chance to start if he could beat out Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew.
Las Vegas sealed the deal by signing Cousins to a monster contract, which is actually considerably smaller than its stated figures initially appear on paper.
“Comp update: Kirk Cousins will sign a five-year, $172 million deal with the Raiders that in reality is a one-year, fully-guaranteed $20 million deal that also contains a club option for two years at $80M,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported via X. “The Falcons will pay Cousins $8.7 million this season, the Raiders another $1.3 million and Las Vegas also agreed to pay its new QB a fully-guaranteed $10 million roster bonus on the third day of the 2027 new league year.”
The Raiders’ willingness to go up to a $20 million figure for Cousins, and fully guarantee it, indicates that the team sees him as its starting option at least in Week 1, and likely for multiple games moving forward in 2026. Las Vegas owns the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft and will almost certainly select Fernando Mendoza, who will eventually usurp Cousins as QB1.
With Cousins now out of the mix, Adam Wells of Bleacher Report named Green Bay as the top landing spot for Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts.
Anthony Richardson Not Packers’ Only QB2 Option This Offseason
The Cleveland Browns are not expected to trade for Anthony Richardson.
GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Wells made his argument on Thursday, April 2 following Cousins’ decision to join the Raiders.
“Richardson, in particular, would fit the model of what Green Bay likes to do with the backup quarterback spot.” Wells wrote. “Putting Richardson with head coach Matt LaFleur could go a long way toward helping him hone his skills.”
Wells also noted quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson as potential fits in Green Bay, though he mentioned Richardson’s name first.
Anthony Richardson Has Been Available on Trade Market for More Than a Month
Anthony Richardson, Colts
GettyQuarterback Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts drafted Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, but injuries hampered him during his first season while poor play earned him a benching in 2024.
Daniel Jones joined the fray during the 2025 preseason and beat Richardson out for the QB1 job. Indianapolis granted Richardson permission to seek a trade during the NFL combine in late February, though nothing firm has yet materialized.
Richardson is entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract in 2026, which is worth a total of $34 million. A fifth-year team option for 2027 is also part of the deal, as the QB is a former first-round pick.
That option carries a cost of nearly $22.5 million and whichever team holds Richardson’s rights will have until May 1 of this year to exercise it. Otherwise, Richardson will become an unrestricted free agent next spring as he heads into his age-25 campaign.