Kirk Cousins has found his next home. The four-time Pro Bowler is signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, his agent, Mike McCartney, announced.
The Raiders hold the first overall pick and are expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza later this month. Cousins, who worked with head coach Klint Kubiak during their time together in Minnesota, provides the veteran presence Las Vegas wanted. Kubiak said earlier this week at the Annual League Meeting that he would prefer Mendoza learn from a veteran rather than start from Day 1.
Falcons QB Depth Chart for 2026
Cousins should open the season as the starter while Mendoza acclimates to the NFL. This move ends the veteran quarterback’s two-year tenure with the Atlanta Falcons, and they will have their own quarterback battle in the offseason.
Here’s how their depth chart shapes up at this point in the offseason:
QB1: Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa is the presumptive Week 1 starter, even if he wasn’t supposed to be. The 28-year-old quarterback signed a one-year deal with Atlanta after the Miami Dolphins released him following six seasons in Miami.
The move wasn’t designed to supplant Michael Penix Jr., but Penix’s partially torn ACL changes the calculus. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday he couldn’t commit to Penix being ready for Week 1.
“There are obviously timelines when it comes to injuries, but we are all different. So, we want to see how he looks in a week, how he looks in a month,” Stefanski said. “I think it would be unfair to say that just yet.”
If Penix isn’t cleared by September, Tagovailoa will open the season under center. His 67.7% completion rate in 2025 was better than Penix’s 60.1%, and he brings six years of starting experience to an offense with legitimate weapons in Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
QB2: Michael Penix Jr.
Michael Penix Jr., the 2024 first-round pick, remains the long-term investment. Atlanta drafted Penix eighth overall just weeks after signing Cousins in 2024, a decision that raised eyebrows then and continues to define the franchise’s quarterback situation.
Penix took over as the starter midway through his rookie year and opened 2025 as QB1 before the ACL injury ended his season after nine starts.
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Stefanski made it clear this will be a competition once Penix returns to full health. The new regime didn’t draft him and isn’t tied to him the way the previous front office was. Penix completed just 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions in 2025.
The accuracy issues concern Stefanski, whose offense demands precise, on-time throws. Penix has the arm talent and upside, but consistency has eluded him.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Tagovailoa finished last season as the 27th-ranked quarterback in the league with an impact score of 72.2, while Penix was the 31st-ranked with an impact score of 70.1.
QB3: Trevor Siemian
Trevor Siemian is a veteran insurance for the Falcons at the quarterback position, as he has 11 years of NFL experience.
The journeyman quarterback signed with Atlanta this offseason, bringing more than 30 career starts to a room that needed a steady presence. Siemian profiles as the ideal third option behind two quarterbacks who will battle for the starting job throughout camp.
