The Green Bay Packers may be staring at a tougher version of the Minnesota Vikings offense now that Kirk Cousins is back in the picture sooner than plenty of people expected.
Cousins had some of his biggest years in Minnesota, piling up more than 4,200 passing yards and 30 touchdowns on a regular basis. He also already knows Kevin O’Connell well after playing under him in 2022 and 2023, and that familiarity could help give a Vikings passing game that has struggled badly this season a much-needed lift. Minnesota’s air attack sits 31st in the league at 160.8 yards per game.
That sets up an interesting week for Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon, who could soon be dealing with Justin Jefferson and maybe Jordan Addison as well. Nixon was asked about the trade and didn’t exactly offer a deep scouting report. Instead, he leaned into the name game.
Keisean Nixon on the Kirk Cousins trade
“I don’t know. He’s not my cousin,” Nixon remarked via FOX Sports Kelly Hallinan.
The clip:
🤣🤣🤣
- Kelly Hallinan (@kellyhals) November 12, 2026
Cousins and Nixon were both in the NFC North in 2022 and 2023, though their paths to that point were different. Nixon came to Green Bay from the Las Vegas Raiders after former Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia brought him over just months after Bisaccia arrived.
Now 29, Nixon first carved out his role with the Packers as a return specialist before expanding into a bigger defensive job in his second season, when he started 13 games. He still hasn’t picked off Cousins, and that gives him a shot at his first career interception against the quarterback when the teams meet at Lambeau Field this weekend.
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Jordan Love figures to be central to whatever Green Bay does next, especially with Minnesota bringing a defense that has been difficult to crack. The matchup has drawn plenty of attention from around the league, including a round of Bleacher Report predictions that leaned toward the Packers, which only adds to the sense that this is more than just another division game. For Green Bay, it is a chance to answer a familiar opponent on its own turf and make the rematch count. [Read more 🡒]