Kirk Cousins contract, salary: Quarterback to get paid by three NFL teams in 2026 after Raiders trade him to Vikings

The Vegas Riders have traded veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the team announced. To complete the deal, the Vikings will send the Raiders a 2027 third-round pick. The deal is also pending Cousins’ physical with the Vikings, USA Today reported.

Cousins is returning to the Vikings as they struggle this season. They are plagued with several issues as they start the 2026 season with 6-2. According to USA Today, their offense has been struggling to produce and even find an identity during the season’s beginning. The Vikings currently rank at 30 in offensive EPA per play, according to the NFL’s Next-Gen Stats.

Cousins started his NFL career with the Washington Redskins after being picked in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2012. He first signed with the Vikings in 2018 as a free agent for a three-year, $84 million contract. He played with the Vikings for six seasons and went on to rank at three in the team’s all time passing yards list. He later played with the Falcons for two seasons and then signed with the Raiders in 2026.

Cousins to get paid by three NFL teams in 2026 after the trade

With his trade to the Vikings, Cousins is set to get paid by three teams in 2023. This makes up nearly 10% of the NFL which has 32 teams.

With his new team, Cousins will be paid his base salary for the year, around $650,000, and an additional $10 million which was guaranteed to him through his roster bonus in March. He is likely to get a $80 million, two-year option next season.

The Atlanta Falcons owe him $8.7 million for 2026, NBC reported. His deal with the Falcons was restructured in January, and set up a release after June 1, however his roster bonus was guaranteed. The roster bonus was $10 million earlier, but the deal came with the condition that anything Cousins was paid by a new team in 2026 would reduce what the Falcons owe him, sports news website Yard Baker reported.

The third portion comes from the Raiders, they built around Cousins's deal with the Falcons. He will get paid a $1.3 million salary in 2026 by the franchise and a $10 million roster bonus in 2027, according to Over The Cap.

According to NBC, Cousins made $90 million in 2024 and 2025 with the Falcons. His contracts with the Raiders also included a $78.6 million base salary for 2028, which will become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2027 season and also a $1.3 million base salary for the season. The Vikings will have to pay him $80 million over the next two years unless he is not released.

Why did the Raiders trade Kirk Cousins?

While talking to reporters following the decision, Raiders general manager John Spytek explained why the franchise made the move. He said the team had a plan in place which included letting “Kirk (Cousins) play till something changed”. Spytek added that the team made the best decision for the team going forward.

The Raiders’ No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza will not replace Kirk Cousins following the trade. He will make the first two starts of his career against the Seahawks and the Broncos as the Raiders are 4-5.