Kirk Cousins getting paid by Raiders: How QB has cashed in to become one of NFL's richest players

Only two players in NFL history have made more money than Cousins, who has just one playoff victory in his 14-year career

Bryan DeArdo

Apr 3, 2026

10:32 am ET

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6 min read

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While he may not be a future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, Kirk Cousins is a undoubtably a first ballot Hall of Fame earner.

Cousins, who has effectively signed a one-year, $20 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, is the third-highest-earning player in NFL history. Only fellow quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers have accrued more career earnings than Cousins, who recently passed seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady on the all-time earnings list.

The 2026 season will also be the 11th straight year where Cousins' contract is fully guaranteed. Of his career salary, 99% of it has been fully guaranteed. Cousins' $339,369,288 guaranteed salary is an NFL record.

Highest-paid players in NFL history (via Over the Cap)

PlayerYears activeCareer earnings1.

Matthew Stafford

2009-present

$408,000,000

Aaron Rodgers

2005-present

$395,812,794

Kirk Cousins

2012-present

$341,469,288

Tom Brady

2000-22

$317,619,794

Russell Wilson

2012-25

$315,840,12

Matt Ryan

2008-22

$306,205,882

Dak Prescott

2016-present

$295,437,392

Drew Brees

2001-20

$273,933,000

Ben Roethlisberger

2004-21

$266,724,382

10.

Jared Goff

2016-present

$259,607,504

While his career hasn't been as good as most of the other quarterbacks on the above list, Cousins has been good enough over the years to be in the same vicinity as them from a financial standpoint. He's certainly done well -- both on the field and the negotiation tables -- for a player who was drafted in the fourth round and who began his career as a backup behind then rookie phenom Robert Griffin III.

While Griffin's career was derailed by an injury sustained at the end of his rookie season, Cousins has enjoyed a lengthy career that has included four Pro Bowl selections and four playoff runs with Washington and Minnesota. And while his two years in Atlanta didn't go as planned, Cousins still showed enough there to convince new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak that he deserves at least one more shot to be a starting NFL quarterback, albeit the Raiders are expected to select Indiana Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick later this month.

How did Cousins join such exclusive company? Let's find out by looking back at each of his contracts.

2012-2015: Rookie contract

- Team: Washington Commanders

- Four years, $2.57 million

Cousins officially began his NFL career after he signed his first contract with Washington after being selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. After making just nine starts during his first three seasons, Cousins' career was changed for good after he led Washington to an unexpected division title in 2015, a year before he was slated to enter free agency for the first time.

Cousins' stock was probably never higher than after the 2015 season. And while that season ultimately paid dividends from a financial standpoint, Cousins first had to settle for the first of two one-year deals.

2016: Non-exclusive franchise tag

- Team: Washington Commanders

- One year, $19.953 million

Cousins followed up his breakout 2015 campaign with a largely successful 2016 season that culminated with his first Pro Bowl selection. Washington wasn't quite as good, however, missing the playoffs after going 8-7-1 (Washington went 9-7 the previous season).

The 2016 season was in many ways the start of the enigma of Cousins, a prolific statistical player who for whatever reason has not been able to parlay that individual success into more team success. It might be more accurate to say that Cousins' teams haven't parlayed his success into more team success. Either way, the fact that Cousins hasn't had more team success despite him having some very impressive individual seasons is nothing short of puzzling.

2017: Franchise tag

- Team: Washington Commanders

- One year, $23.9 million

Instead of a long-term deal, Washington again decided to hold on to Cousins for one year. But after another non-playoff season despite solid play from Cousins, the writing was on the wall regarding Cousins' time in D.C.

2018-2020: First long-term contract

- Team: Minnesota Vikings

- Three years, $84 million

Cousins was viewed as the missing piece to a potential championship puzzle for a Vikings team that was coming off an NFC Championship game appearance. That wasn't ultimately the case, though, as the 2018 Vikings sputtered through a forgettable, 8-7-1 season despite another good statistical season from Cousins.

The 2019 season, though, may have done as much for Cousins' career than his breakout 2015 season, as his success that year contributed to a successful season for Minnesota that inclu