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.
Can someone explains how this works?…Why does Tua have to sign a Vet minimum after getting released? But Kirk can sign for $20 million? Or did Tua not have to sign a Vet Minimum?
It’s a one year $1.3 vet minimum deal. He gets 10 million if he’s on the roster next season…which he won’t be.
Read the article. The $10 mil bonus is guaranteed. He will be cut after they pay that out before the big money kicks in. Crazy deal for a washed up player who is a statue in the pocket after all the injuries, but a good guy to mentor a rookie.
That’s why the class was called reading AND comprehension. You read it, didn’t comprehend it. The $10 mil is a roster bonus that is guaranteed IF he is on the roster on day 3 of the 2027 season. Cutting through all the 5 yr $172m crap it all boils down to a 1 year vet minimum. Simple.
I wouldn’t bet on that. Cousins can still play.
Miami still owes Tagovailoa $50+ million guaranteed for the 2026 season. Anything he signs for is subtracted from that guarantee. I don’t believe Cousins had any guarantees left in his deal with Atlanta.
He did, $10m, which is why the extra guarantee is for the 2027 season and Atlanta is paying $8.7m for this season.
Cousins is a MUCH better QB! Tua is one concussion away from the afterlife. Get real.
Get real?…That was the point of my question, so Tua could’ve signed for more? Or he had to sign a Vet minimum because of his guarantees? You don’t think someone would’ve offered Tua more than 1.3 million?
@Braveshomer – Anyone could have offered him Tua more but why? The Dolphins are on the hook for 50M.
There’s no reason for another team to offer anything more than the vet minimum as that only helps the Dolphins lower their salary cap hit.
@braves homer
they could have offered him 20M and Tua still get the same 50M the only difference is miami would be paying 30M while atlanta would be paying 20M instead of the 1.3M
Tua is not getting more money unless you think he is worth a 50M+ investment to pass what Miami owes him.You can offer him that but i dont think anyone else would
Ok thx that’s all I was asking. So a team could’ve offered more than Vet minimum of they wanted to. I wasn’t comparing Kirks abilities to Tuas, just asking about how the money works.
Adam Schefter sensationalizing again to get views. Once upon a time he was useful.
Shefter is just agent PR now.
After a successful audition after Matt Ryan left CBS, I’m wondering how much money Cousins is leaving on the table for not committing to a broadcast career.
He’s still got football in his blood, and he proved while in Atlanta, that he can still play at a very high level.
You’re talking about a guy who just passed Tom Brady in earnings. I would add- All without ever winning a Super Bowl. The one thing Cousins has never done is leave money on the table.
Can’t wait to see his response when the Raiders take a QB with the first pick.
oh I know! Cousins will be completely blindsided by that first pick!👍
Just when you thought he snatched his last bag
Unless this is a Tom Hagen situation where he has a “special practice” with just one client, Mike McCartney should have every quarterback in the league hiring him to do get them the same up-market deals that he’s been getting Cousins all these years.
What does Cousins have left to prove?
After all the money he has raked in, having never guided a team to the promised land; how much MORE MONEY beyond $341 MM does he REALLY NEED to live out his “after football” life and to provide for his family?? He bolted MN for Atlanta for the sake of his wife & kids (her birth home) and now for no meaningful dollars more than what he was already guaranteed, will either uproot his family to the “family friendly” atmosphere of Las Vegas or will be chalking up frequent flyer miles as he commutes back and forth between his new job and his Georgia residence. $$MONEY$$ ??
It just supports the old saying, “There’s one born every minute.”
Does Cousins agent have the negatives for every NFL owner?
can’t believe the raiders missed out on signing flacco .. cousins the consolation prize
Kirk Cousins entered the league with the Washington Redskins — and the year he took over as their QB1 he led the Redskins to the largest comeback win in their history. You like that!