Kirk Cousins to surpass contract earnings of NFL’s GOAT QB after Raiders deal

Apr 2, 2026 - 21:15
Kirk Cousins to surpass contract earnings of NFL’s GOAT QB after Raiders deal
Dec 13, 2020; Tampa, Florida, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) greet after the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Kirk Cousins has a new home.

And will soon surpass one of his new bosses in NFL career earnings.

The veteran quarterback agreed to terms on a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, a five-year, $172-million contract. Under the terms of the deal, the contract is in reality a one-year, fully-guaranteed deal for $20 million, that contains a team option for two years at $80 million.

Not only does that contract extend Cousins’ mark of guaranteed contracts — this season will be the 11th fully-guaranteed year over his NFL career — but this year’s deal means he will pass Tom Brady’s career earnings.

Brady is a minority owner of the Raiders.

The deal is also a massive jump over what Cousins was set to make this season had he stayed with the Atlanta Falcons:

New Raiders QB Kirk Cousins will now make $20 million fully guaranteed for playing the 2026 season, per sources. That’s double the $10M guarantee Cousins had left on his Falcons contract, and puts him in line to potentially be the Week 1 starter in Las Vegas.— Tom Pelissero (@tompelissero.bsky.social) 2026-04-02T15:20:48.545Z

The Raiders are largely expected to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first-overall selection later this month, meaning Cousins may serve as a bridge to the team’s expected quarterback of the future. But new head coach Klint Kubiak indicated on Tuesday that he might prefer to start the season with a veteran option under center.

One that might be a first ballot Hall of Famer, at least when it comes to making deals.

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