After trading Geno Smith earlier this offseason and letting Kenny Pickett walk in free agency, Aidan O'Connell was the only quarterback on the Las Vegas Raiders' roster. Of course, Fernando Mendoza was expected to come via the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, solving the team's issues.
But John Spytek and Klint Kubiak have remained steadfast in their belief that a rookie quarterback shouldn't necessarily be given the keys to start right away. Instead, they should have a veteran signal-caller in front of them that they can learn from while adjusting to the NFL level.
Kirk Cousins has been linked to Las Vegas throughout free agency, mainly due to his ties to the Shanahan/Kubiak coaching tree. Well, the Raiders finally made a move on that front, signing Cousins to a deal on Thursday, according to his agent, Mike McCartney.
Las Vegas Raiders sign veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins
Kubiak was Cousins' quarterbacks coach with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019 and 2020 before being promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2021 season. Cousins also played several years under Mike Shanahan, who is the father of Kubiak's offense, as well as Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan.
Now, the Raiders will have somewhat of a quarterback battle during training camp, or at the very least, a solid bridge in Cousins. Mendoza may not start right away now, or even at all during his rookie season. The presence of a veteran quarterback completely changes the complexion in Las Vegas.