Why Kirk Cousins Is the Ideal Bridge/Backup Quarterback Option for These Four Teams

The 37-year-old four-time Pro Bowl signal caller is still on the market.

Kirk Cousins is still on the market. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Among the multitude of storylines to come out of the 2026 NFL owners meetings at Phoenix’s Arizona Biltmore this week—the league and referees union at odds, Howie Roseman clarifying that A.J. Brown is still an Eagle, and the Browns insisting that they’re not trading Myles Garrett, to name a few—is the lingering situation with Kirk Cousins’s free agency.

While a majority of key free agents have already been scooped up since the NFL’s new league year officially opened earlier this month, a handful are still looking for work. Said group includes the journeyman signal caller.

Cousins, 37, was released by the Falcons in mid-March as they’ve decided move forward with a double lefty quarterback room in Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, and will now look to join his fourth team since being drafted by Washington in 2012. One team, the Los Angeles Rams, has already made it known that they’d be interested in Cousins’s services in 2026.

“We do need to be able to add another guy into that room,” coach Sean McVay admitted on Monday during an appearance on PFT Live with Mike Florio and Chris Simms. “And that’s something that we’re looking at. Obviously, people make some of the connections with Kirk [Cousins], and if it doesn’t work out with Jimmy [Garoppolo, who is a free agent and spent the past two seasons with the Rams], that’s definitely something that– you know I have tremendous respect for [him] … know he’s got some other options and some other suitors, but Jimmy and Kirk are guys that I’d love to be able to have back with us.”

MORE: Albert Breer's Notes: 18-Game Schedule Looms Large at Owners Meetings

For those unfamiliar, McVay was Washington’s offensive coordinator from 2014 to ‘16, which overlapped with Cousins’s opportunity to become their starting quarterback under coach Jay Gruden. McVay expanded on their relationship while speaking with ESPN’s NFL Live on Monday.

“Kirk and I experienced a lot of first things together,” he explained. “And so there was a real, foundational relationship. His success and really the success we were able to have as a team was instrumental in [me] getting an opportunity to get to L.A. So I’m forever indebted to him … Kirk was awesome and he’s played at a high level. He’s a starting quarterback in this league, it’s just a matter of what he’s looking for, what the situation is. If there is some interest in us, Kirk, come see us man! We’d love to have you.”

Needless to say, the Rams bringing Cousins in—behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, of course—would be a slam-dunk signing. He’s experienced, knows what McVay wants to do on offense and is a proven winner at the NFL level who would give L.A. a competent backup plan in the event of an injury to Stafford.

That said, and as McVay alluded to, Cousins also has other options and suitors. Here are three other teams that would make sense for him in 2026.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers could use a backup quarterback behind Jordan Love. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the Packers already have their starting quarterback in Jordan Love, they lost one of the league’s top backups,Malik Willis, to the Dolphins in free agency. As currently constructed, their QB room consists of Love, Kyle McCord and Desmond Ridder. 

As he did with McVay, Cousins overlapped with Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur during his time as the quarterbacks coach in Washington. He’s familiar with the Packers’s West Coast-adjacent offense and would provide them an insurance policy behind Love, who’s missed time in two of his first three seasons as Green Bay’s full-time starter.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders hired Klint Kubiak as their new head coach in February. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Raiders are in prime position to select quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in late April. That said, they have only one quarterback on their roster in Aidan O’Connell as they head into the draft.

Few quarterbacks—Las Vegas minority owner Tom Brady among them—have seen more at the position than Cousins. The seasoned veteran would be the perfect mentor for Mendoza as he gets his feet wet at the professional level.

An added bonus? New Raiders coach Klink Kubiak worked with Cousins as his quarterbacks coach (2019 to ‘20) and offensive coordinator (‘21) while the two were with the Vikings.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

If they don’t end up bringing back Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback in 2026, the Steelers will have to pivot at the position—even if their plan is to draft and develop a rookie behind signal callers Will Howard and Mason Rudolph.

Pittsburgh tried to trade for Cousins from the Falcons last offseason, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Perhaps they go that route again if the Rodgers-McCarthy reunion falls through.

---