Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
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Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is opening up about heading to the Las Vegas Raiders as he officially signs.
As of Monday, April 6, former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is officially quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders. Cousins signed his deal with the team under bright lights on Monday, and in doing so, he shared a message with the world about how he feels about the decision.
Cousins comes to the Las Vegas Raiders following a two-year run with the Atlanta Falcons. Over the course of his career, including his time with the Vikings, Cousins’ regular season stats show that he’s notched 44,700 passing yards, 298 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 66.7 percent in 174 games, according to NFL research. He owns passer rating of 96.8 yards per attempt, as well.
Now, he’ll bring that talent and know-how to the Raiders. Cousins’ deal with Las Vegas is a five-year, $172 million deal, but functions as a one-year, $20 million fully guaranteed deal for the 2026-27 season, according to statistics from ESPN. The contract also includes “a club option for two years at $80 million and could be worth up to $172 million over five years,” a source told ESPN. But, in reality, it’s a one-year deal.
Former Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Kirk Cousins Makes First Public Statement Since Joining Las Vegas Raiders
So, on Monday, April 6, Cousins inked with the Raiders. In doing so, he sent a message to Raiders Nation. “Thrilled to be here,” Cousins said to the cameras. “It’s such an iconic logo, iconic jerseys, so to get to be a part of it is a real privilege to me.”
He also talked about why he picked the Raiders over other teams. According to NFL insider Dianna Russini, Cousins fielded interest from the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers.
“I think it starts with the coaching staff,” Cousins told reporters. “I was really excited about being able to work with coaches I worked before. Klint Kubiak, Rick Dennison, Andrew Janocko. I had some of my best years playing with them, and coaching is a big deal in this league.”
He added, “So, getting around them excited me. And I think it’s a team that has a lot of young talent and that they’re building something special and I want to be a part of that.”
Kirk Cousins Credits Klint Kubiak for Bringing Him to the Las Vegas Raiders
Cousins continued to credit Kubiak for bringing him to Las Vegas, saying that a “big reason why I’m sitting in this chair and I’m now a Raider is because of Klint Kubiak.”
“I can talk about him all I want, but my actions really show what I think of him by being here,” Cousins added. “Great football mind, extremely hardworking.” Cousins also said that “there’s a humility there that I deeply respect” and that Kubiak is a “great question asker. He wants to do what the quarterback’s comfortable with.”
The Raiders also made an official announcement about Cousins. The quarterback hails from Holland, Michigan, and played college football at Michigan State University from 2007 to 2011, where he wrapped up his career as the university’s all-time record holder, according to league research, in passing touchdowns at 66, passing yards at 9,131 and completions at 723.