Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
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TheLas Vegas Raiders used a loophole when signing veteran QB Kirk Cousins, a move that could upset the Atlanta Falcons.
On April 2, Cousins’ agent announced that the player and the Raiders agreed to terms on a contract,with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting, citing sources, that the agreement will pay the four-time Pro Bowler $20 million in guaranteed money in 2026.
Schefter also reported, citing a source, that the deal includes a two-year, $80 million team option and could be worth up to $172 million over five years. However, only the $20 million is guaranteed.
Moreover, of the $20 million guaranteed, the Raiders will pay only $11.3 million ($1.3 million will come this year and $10 million next year), while the Falcons are stuck with $8.7 million. On April 4,NBC Sports’ NFL insider Mike Florio shared whether Atlanta will make a big deal about this knowing they are on the hook to pay Cousins this year.
“With Cousins having a 2026 market value in excess of $10 million, the Falcons may have thought they’d avoid paying any of the final $10 million.The Raiders had another plan,” Florio wrote.
“By giving Cousins a $1.3 million salary in 2026 and a fully-guaranteed $10 million roster bonus due in March 2027, the Raiders found a way to give Cousins $20 million while only paying $11.3 million of it. The Falcons remain on the hook for the remaining $8.7 million…
“Regardless, the Raiders found a loophole and used it. And the Falcons plan to let it go. Making it easier for the Falcons to move on is the fact that they got quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for $1.3 million in 2026, with the Dolphins owing him $52.7 million.”
NFL Won’t Close Loophole That the Raiders Used
With the Raiders taking advantage of this loophole in the system, Florio asked whether the NFL intends to close it or leave it as is for other teams to exploit.
“As to the possibility that the loophole will be closed, one source predicts it will remain,” Florio added. “For one thing, any offset (even if it’s only the minimum salary) helps defray thesunken cost of a failed contract. Also, the loophole the Raiders utilized can nowbe used by any other team that hopes to sign a player whose market value exceeds his guaranteed pay.
“Besides, it will rarely be used. Younger players (like Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray) will strongly prefer a one-year deal and a shot at the open market.”
Rich Gannon Talks Raiders Landing Kirk Cousins
Furthermore, with Las Vegas now having its veteran that can play in front of Fernando Mendoza, should the team select the former Indiana Hoosiers star with the No. 1 pick, and mentor him, former Raiders QB Rich Gannon shared his thoughts on the signing.
“I think it makes a lot of sense, and I think you can look into ita number of different ways,”Gannon said in an April 2 video from the New York Post. “He’s going to be the starter in Week 1. I don’t think we need to get that far. I just think bringing in a quality player and person like Kirk Cousins is important.
“He’s got, you know, 14 years of experience; he’s got 167 starts under his belt. He’s thrown for almost 45,000 yards and almost 300 touchdowns [and] he’s played well for a number of different organizations.”