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Tom Brady is not only a seven-time Super Bowl champion and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but he is also a great recruiter.
New Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins credited Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, with giving him a big push during his decision to enter free agency.
“I texted (Brady), told him to call me when he could, and he actually FaceTimed me — I was at youth baseball practice. So I went away and just FaceTimed with Tom for a minute just to kind of get on the same page and understand his vision for the organization and what he saw ahead and whether I would be a good fit or not,” Cousins said on NFL Network’s recent appearance on NFL Football.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady greet after a game at Raymond James Stadium. The game took place in Tampa, Florida on December 13, 2020. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)
“And I got off the call and I called my wife and I said, ‘That was a really life-giving call with Tom. You know, he gets it. He’s been where I’ve been and then some, and I think he understands what it’s going to look like, what it’s going to look like, and I really felt like a shot in the arm, um, you know, after talking to him. And I felt like it was a big push for me to come to Vegas.”
Cousins said Brady has been “fantastic” throughout the process and that his conversation with the New England Patriots legend was one of many he had while doing homework on the Raiders. The 37-year-old said Brady was in the building for the first day of OTAs and wants to be a resource.
PROJECT TOP PICK FERNANDO MENDOZA MAKE BIG NFL DRAFT DECISION: REPORT
Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady reacts prior to an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“He just wants to be a resource. I don’t know that he’s going to be around all the time, but he’s always a phone call, a text away. And I think that has to be a positive,” Cousins said.
While the Raiders are generally expected to take Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, there’s no guarantee he’ll start in Week 1. Brady and general manager John Spytek have repeatedly said they believe in not playing a young quarterback right away, making it unlikely Mendoza would start Week 1.
Cousins is also familiar with new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak. During Cousins’ time with the Minnesota Vikings, Kubiak was his quarterbacks coach for two seasons and his offensive coordinator for another.
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Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins throws a pass against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 21, 2025. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)
The Raiders’ plan could be to sit Mendoza under Cousins until they believe he is ready to start and become the face of their franchise.
In 10 games and eight starts last season with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The team had a 5-3 record in his starts, including winning the last four.
