Overview
- The Vikings traded a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Kirk Cousins in a deal completed on Tuesday, returning the 38-year-old to the team he led from 2018–23.
- Cousins told reporters he is focused on winning a Super Bowl and said he already knows the offense and coaching staff, with multiple outlets reporting he is likely to start in Week 10 at Lambeau Field.
- Las Vegas moved on to Fernando Mendoza, its No. 1 overall pick, naming the rookie the Raiders’ starter and using the trade to accelerate Mendoza’s transition into that role.
- The move requires quick logistics and acclimation for Cousins and his family, and leaves a pending equipment-room conversation over his old No. 8 jersey with rookie safety Jakobe Thomas.
- Vikings GM Nolan Teasley said Cousins fit the team’s needs of familiarity and production, and local voices celebrated the signing as a morale and on-field lift for a club that has cycled through several quarterbacks this season.