Kevin O’Connell has made it official: Kirk Cousins will start at quarterback for the Vikings in Week 10.
Minnesota announced the move Sunday, with O’Connell saying Cousins will get the nod at Green Bay. The decision comes after the Vikings swung a deadline-day deal with the Raiders to bring back their former quarterback in exchange for a third-round pick.
The trade market around Cousins shifted before the deal got done. Jordan Schultz reported that Las Vegas first wanted a second-round pick, then moved to asking for Minnesota’s third-round pick that it had received in the Jonathan Greenard deal with the Eagles.
Minnesota passed on that ask. Schultz also reported the Vikings ultimately convinced the Raiders to take their own third-rounder instead, a pick that carries less value than the one they got for Greenard.
The move fits the direction Minnesota was already heading after another rough offensive showing on Monday night in Week 9. The Vikings had made it clear they were looking for a reunion with their former quarterback to help steady the offense.
Even with a 6-2 record through eight games, the numbers have been ugly. Minnesota ranks 31st in offensive yards and 31st in passing yards. Kyler Murray missed Week 9 with a hamstring injury, but his starts had already been underwhelming, and backup Carson Wentz struggled badly enough that Max Brosmer finished Monday night’s game.
That kind of offensive instability has put even more pressure on a team built around a championship-level defense. Minnesota was reportedly making calls ahead of the trade deadline to see what options were available.
Cousins, 38, was originally a fourth-round pick of Washington in 2012. He played the final year of his rookie contract there before being franchise-tagged in back-to-back seasons.
He later left for Minnesota on a three-year, $84 million deal. As he entered the final year of that contract in 2020, he agreed to a two-year, $66 million extension. Then in 2021, he signed a new one-year, $35 million extension that was fully guaranteed.
Cousins reached free agency again after the 2023 season and signed with the Falcons in 2024 on a four-year, $180 million contract that included $100 million guaranteed. Atlanta released him this offseason, and he then signed with the Raiders on a deal that pays him $20 million in 2026.
This season, Cousins has made nine starts for Las Vegas and completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
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