In a surprising turn of events, seasoned NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins is set to join the Las Vegas Raiders, a move that has caught many off guard.

Despite widespread speculation that the Raiders, now under the partial ownership of Tom Brady, would select quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in this month’s draft, they have instead opted for the experienced Cousins, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.

Klint Kubiak, the newly appointed head coach of the Raiders, recently revealed his preference for not starting Mendoza in the season’s opening game. He suggested the team was in search of a seasoned quarterback to guide the rookie.

“Ideally, you’d want him to learn from a veteran. That’s the perfect scenario. It doesn’t always go as planned, and sometimes rookies start right away. Our role as coaches is to prepare them. Watching a seasoned pro can be invaluable for a young player,” Kubiak explained.

This sentiment paved the way for Cousins’ acquisition, following his release from the Falcons earlier this year after a two-year stint. Cousins and Kubiak share a history, having worked together for three seasons with the Vikings before Kubiak’s departure in 2022.

Veteran NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins is signing with Tom Brady’s Las Vegas Raiders

Cousins was released by the Falcons earlier in the offseason after two years in Atlanta

With the offseason trades of Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett, the Raiders’ quarterback lineup was previously limited to Aidan O’Connell, making Cousins’ arrival a strategic move for the team.

Cousins finished last season strong, leading Atlanta to four straight wins down the stretch but the Falcons still missed the playoffs and coach Raheem Morris lost his job. 

The 37-year-old Cousins threw for 876 yards in those four games with seven touchdowns and two interceptions Overall, he was 5-3 as a starter after opening the season backing up Michael Penix Jr. 

The decision to sign Cousins comes just a day after Kubiak watched Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, practice at Indiana’s pro day in Bloomington. 

All 32 NFL teams sent scouts to Indiana, more than 100 media members were credentialed and dozens of family members and friends of ex-Hoosiers showed up for a pro day unlike any other in school history. 

Most came to see the guy expected to be the first-overall pick in this month’s NFL draft and Mendoza didn’t disappoint, using his platform to potentially help his ex-teammates improve their draft stock.

‘I feel like it went great,’ Mendoza said after throwing the last of his roughly 56 passes inside the John Mellencamp Pavilion.

‘You know quarterbacks have passed, have done shorter pro days than that. I just wanted to make sure everybody could showcase their abilities in front of all 32 NFL teams and really run routes that are applicable to the timing we’re going to be running in the NFL.’

The Raiders are expected to select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft

Mendoza threw short, deep and medium-range passes, targeting receivers to the left, right and over the middle. He also threw on the run.

The former Florida prep star and Cal graduate wasn’t perfect, however. He overthrew a diving Elijah Sarratt on a deep ball by a half yard, one of several balls that hit the ground.

Then again, the 6-foot-5 22-year-old doesn’t have to be perfect after seemingly already convincing Las Vegas’ decision-makers to take him at No. 1. The Raiders also seem like a perfect fit for the Boston-born Mendoza, a longtime fan of Raiders minority owner Brady.

Mendoza’s 2025 season certainly got the attention of Brady, who attended January’s national championship game in Miami with majority owner Mark Davis and general manager John Spytek.

Mendoza completed 72 per cent of his throws for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions last season, showed his mettle with a twisting highlight-reel scoring run late in the national championship game and defeated a murderer’s row of football powerhouses – Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Miami – in succession to capture Indiana’s first outright Big Ten title since 1945 and the school’s first national football title.

At February’s NFL scouting combine, Mendoza skipped the workout and he participated only in the throwing session Wednesday. But with coach Curt Cignetti watching and with bright television lights in the corner of the end zones on opposite ends of the field, Mendoza may have shown how committed he is to excelling as a pro away from the field.

Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said this week he didn’t ideally want Mendoza to start in Week 1

He arrived at 236lbs – 11lbs heavier than his listed playing weight. He looked strong and more capable of surviving the big blows from the NFL’s heavier, faster pass rushers.

‘I’m putting all of my efforts toward just trying to be the best quarterback possible for the season,’ he said.

‘But I know at the next level, there’s going to be a lot more snaps under center and that’s a big adjustment. I need to get used to that and just the nature of the game. Not only that, the hash (marks) are more condensed and the speed of the game is faster. So all those things, I look forward to learning.’

Mendoza said he’s already met the Raiders twice, once at the combine and again on Zoom, and he has one additional meeting scheduled before Las Vegas goes on the draft clock April 23.