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Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 16,206 yards and 99 touchdowns across 62 games played with Washington.
Former Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins has finally made his decision on where he will play next season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced on X, “Kirk Cousins will sign a five-year, $172 million deal with the Raiders that in reality is a one-year, fully-guaranteed $20 million deal that also contains a club option for two years at $80M.”
This move comes after Cousins was released by the Atlanta Falcons just two years into a 4-year, $180 million agreement. Rapoport added in his report that, “The Falcons will pay Cousins $8.7 million this season, the Raiders another $1.3 million and Las Vegas also agreed to pay its new QB a fully-guaranteed $10 million roster bonus on the third day of the 2027 new league year.”
Las Vegas now marks the fourth destination in Cousin’s quite lucrative career.
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins has thrown for 44,700 yards, 298 touchdowns, and 131 yards across 174 games played in the NFL.
This will now be the 11th straight season that Cousins will play under a fully guaranteed contract. He initially started this trend after signing a three-year, $84 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018. Cousins became the first player ever to receive a fully guaranteed contract.
That deal came off back-to-back franchise-tagged seasons with Washington. His four-year rookie contract came before that.
Kirk Cousins’ career earnings will now rise to $343 million. He ranks second all-time in career earnings, passing Tom Brady’s $332.9 million mark. and is only behind Matthew Stafford’s $408.3 million.
Kirk Cousins’ Role Calls Back To His Time With Washington
Kirk Cousins now finds himself in a bit of a cyclical role at the start of his career in Washington. Cousins was initially drafted in 2012 and was intended to be in a support role to Robert Griffin III, whom Washington selected as second overall in the same draft. Cousins was only 23 when he was drafted; the now 37-year-old will likely serve as a mentor to the 22-year-old Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders are heavily believed to be selecting the Indiana Hoosiers signal caller with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cousins will, once again, find himself brought in to act as a support role to another top draft pick QB.
Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, will also be reuniting with Klint Kubiak. Kubiak, the new head coach of the Raiders, worked with Cousins for three years in Minnesota. As Cousins begins a new chapter in his story, Washington is currently looking to write an enticing third chapter in theirs.
Washington Commanders Entering Pivotal Third Season In Current Era
GettyThe Washington Commanders are 17-17 across the first two years of head coach Dan Quinn, general manager Adam Peters, and quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ time together.
The Washington Commanders are preparing to enter year three of the Dann Quinn-Adam Peters-Jayden Daniels era. After a successful inaugural season together in which the team made it all the way to the NFC Championship game, their sophomore year was a disappointment. Injuries riddled the team, but the vibe was palpably different. Washington went from a feel-good surprise story to a high-expectation contender in the span of one season. Now they are looking to place themselves back on track.
So far, the front office has been putting in work to set the team up for success. The Commanders have signed 23 new or restructured contracts since the end of the 2025 season, the most in the league. They have provided themselves with flexibility with the seventh overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft because of how they have addressed their roster issues through free agency. As the Commanders get closer to next year, they will look to prove that their core trio is the future of the franchise and not a fluke.
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