Kirk Cousins Contract: Salary, Guaranteed Money With Raiders

Kirk Cousins remains one of the most fascinating quarterbacks of the modern NFL. His willingness to leave the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) and test free agency in 2016 – and again in 2017, and again in 2018 – has given NFL fans some of the only true data points we have about the value of a good signal-caller on the open market. 

In 2018, Cousins moved to Minnesota in free agency, where he ultimately played six years for the Vikings and earned more than $180 million.

In March 2024, Cousins agreed to a new contract with the Atlanta Falcons worth nearly $200 million. But the Falcons followed that up by drafting Michael Penix Jr., who’s now the starting quarterback in Atlanta.

Now, Cousins – who turns 38 just before the start of the 2026 season – has joined the Las Vegas Raiders on a short-term deal.

The veteran very likely could be the Week 1 starter. But even if he isn’t, he’ll serve an important role in helping future franchise starter and this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza grow into an NFL pro. 

Kirk Cousins Contract

In April 2026, Kirk Cousins signed a two-year free-agent contract with the Raiders nominally worth $12.645 million.

In reality, the deal has no signing bonus, and the bulk of Cousins’ money comes in the form of a $10 million roster bonus that isn’t guaranteed until the third league day of 2027. 

Functionally, this is a veteran minimum contract that makes it easy to release Cousins after one year. 

Kirk Cousins Salary

Kirk Cousins will earn $1.3 million from his NFL contract in 2026 – the veteran minimum salary guaranteed by the NFL CBA.