Minnesota went looking for a quarterback on deadline day and found a familiar face. On Tuesday the Vikings struck a deal with Las Vegas to reclaim their former starter, giving up a third-round selection in the 2027 draft. The move becomes final once the 38-year-old passes a physical.
Cousins wore purple between 2018 and 2023 and now rejoins head coach Kevin O’Connell, under whom he enjoyed one of his best years. That 2022 campaign brought 4,547 passing yards, 29 scoring throws and a 13-4 record.
Why the reunion? Minnesota owns the stingiest scoring defence in the league, yet its offence has been close to unwatchable, ranking 27th in points and 31st in passing. Five times in eight outings, Minnesota failed to get past 16 points. Neither Kyler Murray nor Carson Wentz fixed things, and J.J. McCarthy, once drafted as the successor, was shipped to the Giants in late September.
Cousins was no mere caretaker in Nevada. Across nine starts he piled up 2,340 passing yards and 20 scoring throws, while being intercepted eight times. John Spytek, the general manager in Las Vegas, said he had not been shopping the veteran and only took the call when Minnesota reached out that morning. Letting him go was, in Spytek’s words, “a hard decision”.
The trade fast-forwards the Raiders’ rebuild. Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, gets his first start on Sunday against Seattle. Cousins, meanwhile, could make his second Vikings debut at Lambeau Field against Green Bay, the very venue of his last game for the club in 2023.
