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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Raiders' Kirk Cousins: First QB on field at OTAs
During the team period of Wednesday's OTA practice, Kirk Cousins was the first quarterback on the field, Ryan McFadden of ESPN reports.Per the report, Cousins was followed by Aidan O'Connell and then No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, whom the Las Vegas Raiders continue to ease into their offense. While coach Klint Kubiak has yet to provide a timeline for when he'd like to name a starting QB, McFadden suggests that Cousins is the favorite to open the season as the team's No. 1 option, given his ample NFL experience and familiarity with Kubiak's offense. That said, Mendoza -- who has been "as advertised," per Kubiak -- does have time to change that narrative ahead of Week 1, and even if Cousins does handle signal-caller duties for Las Vegas out of the gate in 2026, there's little doubt that Mendoza will rise to the top of the depth chart eventually, given where he was drafted.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Raiders' Kirk Cousins: Raiders draft QB first overall
Kirk Cousins is set for a quarterback competition with rookie first overall pick Fernando Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Mendoza on Thursday after signing Cousins earlier in April. According to McFadden, the Raiders' top brass would prefer not to thrust a rookie quarterback into action immediately, but GM John Spytek said the best player will start. Cousins' edge in experience gives the veteran signal-caller a viable chance to beat out Mendoza, at least initially, though it wouldn't be surprising to see Mendoza eventually take over the starting job at some point during the 2026 regular season.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Raiders' Kirk Cousins: Reaches deal with Las Vegas
Kirk Cousins agreed Thursday with the Las Vegas Raiders on a contract, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.After being cut by the Falcons earlier in the offseason, Cousins had drawn interest from several teams who were keen on bringing him aboard as a backup. He ultimately opted to head to Las Vegas, where he'll at least temporarily slot in atop the depth chart. The Raiders are widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft later this month, but Cousins -- who is in line to earn $20 million fully guaranteed for playing the 2026 season -- per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, could still emerge as the Week 1 starter if Las Vegas isn't eager to rush Mendoza into action right away to begin his NFL career. During his final season in Atlanta, Cousins made 10 appearances (eight starts) and completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 6.4 yards per attempt and a 10:5 TD:INT.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Kirk Cousins: Released by Atlanta
The Falcons released Kirk Cousins on Wednesday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.Cousins was informed of his release in February, or perhaps even earlier, but it didn't become official until Wednesday afternoon with the start of the league year. Rumored fits include one of his former squads, Minnesota, though even desperate teams may view Cousins only as a backup at this point. He'll turn 38 in August, so retirement wouldn't come as a surprise.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Falcons' Kirk Cousins: Will be released March 11
Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday that the team has informed Kirk Cousins he will be released March 11, the first day of the new league year, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.Cousins restructured his contract with Atlanta in early August to provide the team with increased cap flexibility, and now the Falcons will owe him $67.9 million guaranteed if he's still on the roster at the start of the new league year. Finding a trade partner prior to that date is highly unlikely, and as a result the 37-year-old quarterback will be released. Quarterback-needy teams may see Cousins as a candidate for a starting gig in 2026, while Atlanta will need to prioritize finding another reliable option at the position while Michael Penix (knee) works his way back from November surgery to address a torn left ACL.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Falcons' Kirk Cousins: Expected to be cut by Atlanta
The Atlanta Falcons are expected to cut Kirk Cousins before the new league year starts in March, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.The Falcons worked with Cousins on Tuesday to restructure the veteran quarterback's contract by modifying the final two years of the deal to give Atlanta more cap flexibility and incentivize a release sooner rather than later, as Cousins would be slated to get $67.9 million guaranteed were he to be on the roster at the start of the league year. That leaves the Falcons with questions over who they will add to their quarterback room with Michael Penix (knee), while Cousins contemplates joining a team in 2026, including a reunion with the Vikings, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Cousins appeared in 10 regular-season games (eight starts) with Atlanta in 2025, when he completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Falcons' Kirk Cousins: Reworks contract with Atlanta
Kirk Cousins agreed Tuesday to restructure the final two seasons of his four-year, $180 million contract, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports.As part of the restructure, Cousins agreed to reduce his base salary for the 2026 season from a non-guaranteed $35 million to $2.1 million, but the amended deal doesn't necessarily mean that the veteran quarterback will stick around with Atlanta through the upcoming season. Cousins is still guaranteed $67.9 million for the 2027 season, with that money scheduled to vest March 13, the third day of the new league year. Given that Atlanta would have no interest in being tied to Cousins at that amount of money in 2027, the 37-year-old signal-caller may have to agree to another restructure in order to avoid being designated for a post-June 1 release. After opening the 2025 season in a backup role, Cousins reclaimed the starting job for the Atlanta Falcons' final seven games after Michael Penix (knee) tore his ACL in Week 11. In his 10 total appearances, Cousins completed 166 of 269 pass attempts (61.7 percent) for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while tacking on a rushing touchdown.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Falcons' Kirk Cousins: Serviceable finish to season
Kirk Cousins completed 18 of 32 passes for 180 yards with a touchdown and an interception while adding three carries for no gain in the Atlanta Falcons' 19-17 win over the Saints on Sunday.Cousins, who was dealing with an illness that came on overnight, averaged a modest 5.6 yards per attempt and took four sacks, so it wasn't the smoothest of afternoons for the veteran signal-caller. However, Cousins was able to fire a 15-yard touchdown pass to Drake London late in the first quarter, and he displayed his usual chemistry with both his No. 1 receiver and tight end Kyle Pitts. Cousins opened the season with a bleak fantasy outlook and uncertain future as the No. 2 quarterback behind Michael Penix (IR, knee), but the former started the final seven games (and eight overall). Cousins completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards with a 10:5 TD:INT while adding 14 rushes for seven yards and another score across 10 appearances overall. Penix should have a solid chance of being ready for the start of the 2026 regular season, while Cousins remains under contract with the Falcons through the 2027 campaign.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Falcons' Kirk Cousins: Set to play through illness
Kirk Cousins was added to the Atlanta Falcons' injury report due to an illness but won't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Saints and will be available to start at quarterback, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.Cousins was a full participant in practice throughout the week, but he may be operating at something less than 100 percent heading into the season finale after coming down with an illness. More so than the ailment, however, Cousins' fantasy prospects could be hindered by the prospect of some of his top pass catchers being less than fully healthy. Though wideouts Drake London (knee) and Darnell Mooney (knee) and tight end Kyle Pitts (knee) are active Sunday, all were listed as questionable heading into the weekend and were limited in the Falcons' final Week 18 practice. As such, it's possible that any or all three players could have their reps managed to some degree, given that the 7-9 Falcons are eliminated from playoff contention and have little on the line in the season finale.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Falcons' Kirk Cousins: Game-manager role in win
Kirk Cousins completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while adding one rush for one yard in the Atlanta Falcons' 27-24 win over the Rams on Monday night.Cousins opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown pass to Bijan Robinson in the first quarter, but the veteran signal-caller mostly sat back and saw Robinson and his defense do the majority of the heavy lifting from there. No Falcons pass catcher compiled more than David Sills' 37 receiving yards, although Cousins did record a critical 11-yard completion to Kyle Pitts to move the chains early in what turned out to be Atlanta's game-winning drive. Cousins has thrown for under 200 yards in three of the last four games, and he's likely to continue leaning heavily on Robinson during a Week 18 home regular-season finale against the Saints on Sunday.
Kirk Cousins
#8 QB / Las Vegas Raiders / EXP: 15YRS Height: 6-3 Weight: 209 lb Age: 37 College: Michigan St. Bye 13Fantasy Points by Week
- PROJ
- FANTASY PTS
- Rost
- 39%
- Start
- 14%
- QB Rank
- NR