The Las Vegas Raiders are in the market for a quarterback in 2025.
Failure to adequately fix the quarterback situation was one reason that led to the dismissal of general manager Tom Telesco after one year. Needless to say, his successor will require a plan to ensure that mistake does not repeat itself.
That said, solving the problem is far easier said than done.
Victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints late in the season pushed the Raiders to the sixth overall pick. Barring a trade up, that pushes them out of the range of Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
The Raiders could go the free agent route as well, but that also comes with a fair share of pitfalls. Each of the top free agent quarterbacks have some red flags against them, not to mention the fanbase will be wary of a veteran for a third straight year.
One such candidate is Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, who Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton considered as a target for the Raiders.
“If team brass isn’t intrigued by free-agent quarterback options, it can consider Cousins, assuming Atlanta is willing to pay a large portion of his salary,” said Moton.
“In Las Vegas, Cousins could start for two to three years as the bridge-gap signal-caller while the coaching staff develops a talent in a backup role.”
Cousins is coming off a rough maiden season in Atlanta, throwing for 18 touchdowns and a league-leading 16 interceptions. Before the Falcons’ Week 16 game against the New York Giants, the team decided to bench him for eighth overall pick Michael Penix Jr.
That alone makes a trade a tough ask for any team, but Moton takes it a step further. In his trade proposal, the Raiders would not only trade a fourth-round pick for Cousins, but starting cornerback Jack Jones would also be off to Atlanta in the deal.
“The Raiders could add Jack Jones to the deal to bolster their bid,” continued Moton. “Jones struggled in coverage this past season, giving up eight touchdowns, but he also made plays on the ball. As a first-time full-time starter in his three-year career, he recorded 16 pass breakups and three interceptions, including a pick-six.”
“Jones has a close football relationship with former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, who vouched to claim the veteran cornerback off waivers during the 2023 season. After firing Pierce, the Raiders may be ready to move on from Jones, too.”
Jones had an inconsistent season, but the role of a number one cornerback in the NFL is a difficult one to play. Even if Pierce is no longer with the Raiders, a playmaker like Jones still has value with the team.
On top of this, adding Cousins without giving one in return creates a sudden logjam at quarterback. The Raiders already have three quarterbacks under contract in 2025, and a battle between Cousins, Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell would certainly not yield the solution the organization has in mind.
There are also reports that Cousins is more likely to be released by the Falcons during the offseason, making the idea of giving away assets even more unpalatable.
The Raiders would struggle to spin Cousins into a popular choice, and making a trade like the one suggested would make that a near-impossible endeavor.
