Raiders, QB Kirk Cousins Agree To Deal
The Raiders’ interest in Kirk Cousins has indeed produced an agreement. A deal is in place, agent Mike McCartney announced on Thursday.
Vegas was identified yesterday as a suitor in Cousins’ case. The team remains on course to select Fernando Mendoza first overall in this month’s draft, but adding veteran insurance has been a goal this offseason. Head coach Klint Kubiak recently noted his preference for having Mendoza sit at the beginning of his NFL career, pointing to a signing such as this.
[RELATED: Details On Raiders’ Cousins Agreement]
Cousins has been on the market since his long-expected Falcons release. The four-time Pro Bowler did not wind up being traded during the 2025 offseason, setting up a second campaign in Atlanta. Cousins still wound up making eight starts this past season despite Michael Penix Jr. opening the year atop the depth chart. The Falcons proceeded with a cut in Cousins’ case, ending his tenure with the team halfway through a four-year, $160MM contract. Penix and Tua Tagovailoa will compete for the QB1 gig in Atlanta this summer.
No such training camp battle should be anticipated in Vegas given today’s news. Cousins will be tasked with handling starting duties while Mendoza begins his NFL acclimation period. A stint atop the depth chart at some point during the 2026 campaign can of course be expected for the Heisman winner, considering the timeline along which rookie quarterbacks enter the lineup in the modern NFL. For now, though, Cousins will prepare for a period where he is positioned to lead an offense.
Vegas traded for Geno Smith last offseason, reuniting him with head coach Pete Carroll. Nothing went according to plan on offense in 2025, though, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly did not last the full season. It came as no surprise when Carroll was fired immediately after the campaign ended, nor when it became clear Smith would not return for 2026. He was traded to the Jets, creating the need for a veteran acquisition. Cousins, who will be 38 by the start of next season, certainly fits the bill.
Prior to today’s Raiders agreement, the Packers, Rams and Steelers had been linked to Cousins. Each of those teams could stand to add an experienced passer to their depth chart, with Pittsburgh’s QB1 role uncertain until Aaron Rodgers‘ decision on his playing future is made. The backup spots in Green Bay and Los Angeles, meanwhile, will need to be filled by another free agent or a draft pick.
Cousins’ six-year Vikings tenure came to an abrupt end when he suffered an Achilles tear midway through the 2023 season. His preference would have been to remain in Minnesota, but the potential for a multiyear starting spot in Atlanta led to his free agent departure. Things changed unexpectedly when Penix was drafted shortly thereafter, and Cousins was replaced atop the Falcons’ depth chart late in his debut season with the team. In all, he made 22 starts with Atlanta and posted several numbers below his career average while totaling 28 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions.
Expectations will be tempered upon arrival in Vegas for Cousins as a result. He is already owed $10MM from the Falcons for 2026, however, so this deal may not require a major financial commitment on the part of the Raiders.
RB Jeremiyah Love Unlikely To Last Beyond Commanders At No. 7?
Jeremiyah Love is widely understood to be one the most talented prospects in the 2026 class. Gauging where running backs will land in a draft is always difficult, but in this case a drop out of the top 10 order appears unlikely.
[RELATED: Love Could Be Giants’ Top Target]
The Commanders have frequently been mentioned as a logical landing spot for Love. The Heisman finalist would add an impact to any offense, but joining Washington would allow him to immediately contribute on the ground and in the passing game. Multiple personnel who spoke with SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora believe the Commanders – who own the seventh overall pick – are the floor in Love’s case.
“He’s exactly what that offense needs,” one evaluator said. “The draft is about supply and demand and who really needs a running back. The GM [Adam Peters] comes from San Francisco. They made the trade for [Christian] McCaffrey.”
Peters is indeed familiar with high-end running back acquisitions and the implications of building an offense around an elite player at the position dating back to his 49ers tenure. Washington’s backfield has undergone a number of changes so far this offseason, with Chris Rodriguez departing and the likes of Rachaad White and Jerome Ford being added. Drafting Love would leave the Commanders with other notable roster holes, but it would give the team a long-term offensive pillar if all went according to plan.
During each of his sophomore and junior campaigns at Notre Dame, Love averaged 6.9 yards per attempt. He topped 1,300 scrimmage yards in each season, totaling 40 touchdowns between 2024 and ’25. Love earned first-team All-American honors for his final college campaign and he will be counted on contribute early and often at the NFL level.
Peters’ team went from a surprise trip to the NFC title game to a 5-12 season in 2025. Rebounding will depend on factors such as the health of quarterback Jayden Daniels and the strength of his supporting cast. A receiver move will remain something to watch for, but interest in Love – though a top 30 visit or otherwise – could also develop in the near future.
Pro Football Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 4/2/26
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Jauan Jennings’ Asking Price Too High
On the heels of back-to-back productive seasons with the 49ers, expectations were that wide receiver Jauan Jennings would do well in free agency this year. However, three weeks since the market opened, Jennings is still without a contract. The reason? The 28-year-old’s asking price is too rich, league officials told Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
A 2020 seventh-round pick from Tennessee, Jennings debuted a year later and went on to post modest numbers over the next three seasons. The 6-foot-3, 212-pounder caught a touchdown and threw for one in the 49ers’ loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, though, and he carried that momentum into 2024. After entering the campaign with 72 catches, 963 yards and seven TDs in 45 career games, Jennings notched 77 receptions, 975 yards and six scores in a 15-game breakout showing.
Riding the wave of a career year, Jennings sought an extension or a trade heading into last season. Neither came to fruition, though the 49ers added $3MM in incentives to his contract in early September. Jennings and the 49ers likely expected similar or better numbers, especially after the team traded away fellow receiver Deebo Samuel and went without the injured/MIA Brandon Aiyuk. While Jennings grabbed a career-best nine TDs, he fell to 55 receptions and 643 yards during a 15-game season in which he battled rib and ankle injuries.
Since free agency opened, receivers Jalen Nailor, Mike Evans, Rashid Shaheed, Romeo Doubs, Wan’Dale Robinson and Alec Pierce have signed contracts ranging from $35MM in total value to $114MM. Anything on the higher end of that range was never realistic for Jennings, but coming into the offseason, he seemed likely to end up somewhere in that group. While that is still possible, it will be a challenge at this stage of free agency. Unsigned wideouts like Jennings, Samuel, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill and DeAndre Hopkins might not have answers on their futures until after the draft.
Having added Evans and Christian Kirk to their receiving corps in free agency, it appears unlikely the 49ers will bring Jennings back in 2026. Notably, though, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan are still fond of him.
“Jauan’s one of my favorite players and one of Kyle’s favorite players,” Lynch said last Sunday (via Barrows and Tafur). “He’ll find a good home. And I think Jauan will go play great football for someone.”
49ers ‘Hopeful’ TE George Kittle Will Be Ready For Week 1
Even though star tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles in January, the 49ers are not ruling him out for any of next season. General manager John Lynch said he is “hopeful” Kittle will be available for a crucial Week 1 meeting with the rival Rams in Australia (via Nick Wagoner of ESPN). The teams will square off on Sept. 10, just eight months after Kittle’s injury.
As was the case last season, expectations are the NFC West will be a three-team battle royal among the 49ers, Rams and reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks in 2026. Having Kittle available for the first Rams matchup would be ideal for the 49ers, who went without him in seven of 19 games last season. That includes a 41-6 blowout loss to the Seahawks in the divisional round.
Kittle has missed at least one game in eight of nine seasons, but 2025 was especially brutal for the 32-year-old. He landed on IR after tearing his right hamstring in a Week 1 win in Seattle. The injury shelved Kittle for five games. He later missed a Week 17 win over the Bears with a left ankle issue that was far more severe than believed at the time. Kittle recently revealed that he tore two ligaments in his ankle.
Despite dealing with multiple serious injuries, Kittle continued to offer excellent production when he took the field. Over 11 regular-season games, the seven-time Pro Bowler hauled in 57 of 69 targets for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. Between his pass-catching skills and prowess as a blocker, Pro Football Focus ranked Kittle the league’s best tight end in 2025.
While Kittle is among the 49ers’ most valuable players, they did get solid work from backup tight end Jake Tonges last season. One of the rare 49ers to play 17 games in an injury-ravaged year for the team, Tonges caught 34 of 46 targets for 293 yards and five TDs. Tonges became a restricted free agent in the offseason, but the 49ers retained him on a two-year, $8MM deal. If Kittle is unavailable to begin next season, Tonges and blocking specialist Luke Farrell are in line to lead the 49ers’ tight end group.
Josh Allen ‘Good To Go’ After Foot Surgery
Bills quarterback Josh Allen played through the end of last season with a broken bone in his right foot. Not long after the Broncos eliminated the Bills in the divisional round, Allen underwent late-January surgery to address the issue. A little over two months later, he is “good to go” as the Bills’ offseason workouts approach, head coach Joe Brady told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (via Bobby Kownack of NFL.com).
“The thing about Josh Allen, he got surgery after the season, but he’s playing as if you think there’s nothing wrong with him,” Brady said. “The guy could barely walk, and then he’s playing games and it’s not impacting [his play]. He’s built different.”
Following up an MVP-winning 2024 season, Allen was the driving force behind a 12-win showing and a seventh straight playoff berth for Buffalo last year. With 39 total touchdowns (25 passing, 14 rushing), the dual threat finished second to Rams QB Matthew Stafford (46) in that category. Stafford earned MVP honors, while Allen came in third in the race.
Despite taking plenty of punishment, including 40 sacks, the remarkably durable Allen logged another full season and extended his NFL-leading consecutive starts streak to 139. Allen has started every Bills game since Week 12 in 2018, the former seventh overall pick’s rookie season.
The Bills have gone 88-39 in the regular season with Allen at the helm, but they have not reached the Super Bowl in the soon-to-be 30-year-old’s career. Tired of falling short, owner Terry Pegula fired head coach Sean McDermott and promoted Brady from offensive coordinator in an effort to get over the hump in 2026. Allen, who participated in the Bills’ head coaching interviews, endorsed the hiring. Brady’s first offseason workout program as a head coach is scheduled to begin April 6.
WR Omar Cooper Jr. To Visit Panthers
Despite spending their past two first-round picks on wide receivers, the Panthers could go back to the well this year. They will host Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr. on a “30” visit, Jordan Reid of ESPN reports.
After redshirting as a freshman, Cooper finished with 18 catches for 267 yards and two touchdowns in nine games in 2023. Like the rest of the Indiana program, though, Cooper found another gear under head coach Curt Cignetti from 2024-25.
While Cooper only had 28 receptions in 13 games in Cignetti’s first season, he averaged a jaw-dropping 21.2 yards per catch and hauled in seven touchdowns. The 6-foot, 200-pounder moved to the slot last year and played an integral role in the Hoosiers’ 16-0, national title-winning campaign. Teaming up with quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who transferred from California, Cooper finished with 69 catches, 937 yards (13.6 YPC) and 13 receiving TDs.
Both Mendoza, who is all but guaranteed to go No. 1 overall, and Cooper are riding high as the draft nears. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks Cooper as the 18th-best prospect in this year’s class, writing that he “fits the exact model of wideouts finding immediate success in the NFL.”
With the Panthers holding the 19th pick, Cooper could be in their wheelhouse. The team has “done a lot of work on receivers” leading up to the draft, according to Reid. The Panthers have made big draft investments at the position in recent years, though they haven’t all worked out. Terrace Marshall (2021) and Jonathan Mingo (2023) are out of the organization after flopping as second-rounders under previous general manager Scott Fitterer. Dan Morgan, then a rookie GM, traded into the first round in 2024 to take Xavier Legette 32nd overall. Legette has since posted unspectacular numbers, though 2025 eighth overall selection Tetairoa McMillan had a tremendous first season en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
The Panthers also have a young slot receiver in two-year veteran Jalen Coker, but there is room to add another talented pass catcher like Cooper to aid quarterback Bryce Young. While the Panthers will exercise Young’s fifth-year option, they will need to see more from the 2023 No. 1 pick before doling out an extension.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/2/26
Thursday’s lone minor transaction…
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: WR Jaden Smith
Smith signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent from Nevada last July, but he wound up spending the season on IR with an undisclosed injury.
LB Anthony Walker Announces Retirement
After playing a career-low two games in 2025, linebacker Anthony Walker is hanging up his cleats at the age of 30. The nine-year veteran took to Instagram on Thursday to announce his retirement.
A former Northwestern standout, Walker entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Colts and then-rookie general manager Chris Ballard in 2017. Walker mostly worked as a backup in an injury-limited rookie year, but he put together a productive run in Indianapolis from 2018-20. Playing alongside star linebacker Shaquille Leonard during that 47-game, 46-start stretch, Walker averaged 107 tackles per season while totaling 3.5 sacks and three interceptions.
Walker did not stick with the Colts after his rookie contract expired in 2021, and he never inked another multiyear pact. He signed his first one-year deal in Cleveland, where he piled up 113 tackles despite missing four games with a hamstring injury. It proved to be the last season with triple-digit tackles for Walker, who continued battling injuries for the rest of his career. The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder appeared in just 31 of a possible 68 games from 2022-25.
Walker was a starter in all 12 of his contests in 2023, his last year in Cleveland, and notched another eight over 14 appearances with the Dolphins in ’24. While Walker reunited with the Colts last September, he did not see any action before the Buccaneers plucked him off Indy’s practice squad in mid-December. Walker went on to play just 15 snaps (14 on special teams) in a pair of appearances with Tampa Bay.
Over a combined 101 games and 83 starts with four teams, Walker recorded 581 tackles, 5.5 sacks and four interceptions.
Details On Raiders QB Kirk Cousins’ Deal
After spending three weeks on the open market, quarterback Kirk Cousins joined the fourth franchise of his 14-year NFL career Thursday. Cousins is heading to Las Vegas, where he could open 2026 as a bridge starter in front of soon-to-be No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders brought Cousins in on a contract that could max out at five years and $172MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but there is no chance of that happening. This will likely end up a a one-year, $20MM investment in the four-time Pro Bowler. The Falcons, who cut Cousins last month, will handle $8.7MM of the tab. The Raiders gave Cousins a $1.3MM salary and a fully guaranteed $10MM roster bonus that they will pay out on the third day of the league year in 2027.
Two days after the Raiders pay Cousins’ bonus next March, a two-year, fully guaranteed option worth $80MM will kick in if he is still on their roster, Pelissero reports. That makes this a three-year, $81.3MM pact on paper, Pelissero notes, but it is highly improbable his option will vest. The Raiders added two void years to the end of the deal, meaning Cousins will be on their books through 2030.
While the 37-year-old Cousins’ stock is down after back-to-back subpar seasons in Atlanta, he and agent Mike McCartney did well for themselves yet again. The two have been masterful in negotiations, evidenced by the fact that Cousins will go past Tom Brady for second on the NFL career earnings list when he collects his $10MM bonus next year (via Spotrac). Cousins will climb over the $341MM mark then, while Brady wrapped up his legendary 23-year career at $333MM.
Brady, now a part-owner of the Raiders, is behind only Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for now. Having already taken home over $408MM, the 38-year-old Stafford could secure a raise before next season. Doing so would make it even more difficult for someone to catch him in the near future.
Cousins entered the league as a Washington fourth-round pick in 2012, the same year the franchise chose Robert Griffin III second overall. Griffin’s once-promising career flamed out as a result of injuries, leading to Cousins taking over as Washington’s full-time starter in 2015. Cousins went on to play 2016 and ’17 under the franchise tag, earning approximately $44MM in those two seasons. He then left for a Vikings offer worth $84MM over three years. That was the first fully guaranteed contract in league history, but it was not the last enormous payday for Cousins. He later pulled in two more Vikings extensions that combined for three years and $101MM.
Cousins’ Vikings tenure came to an end when he left for the Falcons’ four-year, $180MM offer in 2024. Despite awarding Cousins $100MM in guaranteed money, the Falcons cut him halfway through the pact. Cousins will now attempt to put together a renaissance season in Las Vegas, where he will play a staggering 11th straight year on a fully guaranteed contract.