It is official: Fernando Mendoza will have to wait to get the QB1 crown. Entering training camp, the Las Vegas Raiders named veteran Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback, which many had already predicted. As the senior QB prepares for this crucial responsibility, his wife, Julie, took a moment to mark this new chapter.

Cousins’ significant other took to Instagram and shared a story of their Georgia home. Needless to say, she was pretty emotional saying goodbye to their friends and neighbors in Georgia.

“Moving to Nevada this week.. saying goodbye to our community in Georgia! We made so many great friends and memories in this yard and neighborhood 😍,” she wrote in the caption of the Instagram Story. 

Although Cousins spent just two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons after signing in 2024, the family put down roots in the area. But days before the move to Las Vegas became official, he decided to put the mansion up for sale. As of April 2026, the Georgia mansion was listed for $2.99 million.

The luxurious estate features a custom open-concept layout, expansive outdoor entertaining spaces, and the manicured yard where the Cousins children spent the last two years playing and making memories. But for yet another time in his career, the Cousins family will be making a new city their home.

The veteran entered camp as the undisputed favorite to win the starting job from day one. NFL Network’s Omar Ruiz previously emphasized just how clear the hierarchy has been throughout the offseason. 

“To Mendoza’s credit, he said multiple times since he’s been drafted, he knows he is starting at the bottom of the totem pole. And that was clearly on display as OTA practice No. 2 got underway,” Ruiz noted. “Kirk Cousins was QB1, Aidan O’Connell, QB2, and then in a whole other practice field, seemingly in a galaxy far, far away, The Nandolorean was getting his work in with the third and fourth stringers.” 

Mendoza had struggled a little during the previous practice sessions. During the mandatory minicamp, Cousins took first-team offense reps, while Mendoza worked with the rookies. The latter also had a tough time facing the first-time defense, with a few of his passes being batted down. It was evident that Mendoza would have to cover a lot of ground before head coach Klint Kubiak handed over the keys.

“Well, I love Fernando [Mendoza], but Fernando’s like every other young rookie, and he’s got to go out there and earn it like everybody else,” Raiders minority owner Tom Brady told FOX Business. “… He’s done a lot of hard work to get to this point. But at the same time, like everyone at their age, none of these young players, none of these rookies, have ever had a meaningful snap in the NFL.

“Their career and their journey will be determined by the work that they put in, by the adversities that they overcome.”

Cousins, a journeyman in the NFL, has recorded 44,700 passing yards and scored 298 touchdowns (all regular season) across 14 years in the league.  

As Julie and the children arrive in Nevada to set up their new home, the Cousins family is officially closing its chapter in Georgia. Now, the family will cheer for the Raiders as the quarterback begins the new phase of his career.