Las Vegas Raiders Could Pair Kirk Cousins With Top Pick Fernando Mendoza as Veteran Bridge Option Comes Into Focus

The Raiders are holding the No. 1 overall pick, and the league has spent months treating Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the favorite to hear his name first. The new question isn’t whether Las Vegas drafts him. It’s who starts while he gets ready.

One veteran name that has moved into that conversation is Kirk Cousins, with the idea that Las Vegas could sign the 37 year old as a bridge starter and mentor if it chooses not to throw Mendoza into Week 1.

The expectation of Raiders interest has been linked to reporting that Las Vegas is looking for a veteran quarterback addition specifically to support Mendoza’s transition. The fit is easy to understand from 10,000 feet: a rookie projected to go first overall, a team that just endured a losing season, and a league where “develop him slowly” usually means “find an adult for the room.”

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Cousins is available because Atlanta cut him loose. The Falcons announced his release this week after two seasons in the organization, and they provided his most recent stat line plainly: 61.7% completions, 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, across 10 games played and eight starts in 2025. Cousins took over starting duties late in the season after Michael Penix Jr. was injured, and Atlanta went 5–3 in the games he started.

The Raiders angle gets more interesting because of the coaching connection. Klint Kubiak was hired as Las Vegas’ head coach in February, and Cousins has past success in a Kubiak-led offense from their time together in Minnesota. In 2021, with Kubiak as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator, Cousins threw for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, a season frequently cited as one of the cleaner years of Cousins’ career.

None of this guarantees Cousins ends up in silver and black. But it does explain why the Raiders could view him as more than just a free agent quarterback flyer. The organization can sell a straightforward pitch: start early if Mendoza needs time, stabilize the offense, and help the rookie learn the league’s week-to-week grind without the rookie carrying the full burden from Day 1.

Nothing becomes real until a contract is signed, but the shape of the plan is already visible: draft the quarterback of the future, and possibly use a veteran like Cousins to keep the present from getting messy.

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