The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders hours before the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, sending a 2027 third-round pick to Las Vegas. The Raiders gave Cousins the choice to accept the trade or remain with the team he had started the first nine games of the 2026 season for. Cousins opted to return to Minnesota, citing his strong relationship with head coach Kevin O'Connell.
"Kevin knows me. Kevin knows what I do well. Kevin knows what I don't do well," Cousins said Wednesday. "Kevin knows what I can handle. Kevin knows what I can't handle. And I think that helps." Cousins learned of the trade during breakfast with Raiders teammates when coach Klint Kubiak called him. After consulting his family, agent Mike McCartney, and O'Connell, he informed Raiders general manager John Spytek of his decision by midday Tuesday.
Another factor was the Raiders' likely transition to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the 2026 No. 1 overall pick, making Cousins' starting role temporary. In Minnesota, Cousins reunites with an offense he knows well and with wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who averaged 98.9 receiving yards per game with Cousins — an NFL record for a quarterback-receiver duo over at least 50 games.
Cousins, 38, has thrown 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 64.1% completion rate for 2,340 yards this season. He holds the NFL record for most single-season passing touchdowns (20) by a quarterback changing teams midseason, and his 318 career passing touchdowns are the most for any quarterback making a midseason move. During his first six-year stint with the Vikings (2018-2023), he ranked second in completion percentage (67.9%), fourth in passing yards (23,265), and third in passing touchdowns (171) among quarterbacks with at least 50 starts.
The Vikings, tied for the fewest offensive touchdowns in the league (11), hope Cousins can provide an immediate boost. O'Connell said the goal is for Cousins to start Sunday's divisional game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, where Cousins tore his Achilles in his last Vikings appearance in 2023. "To be back there wearing purple and gold, it has meaning," Cousins said. "But you have to go make it mean something with the way you play."
