Back where it all made sense
Kirk Cousins is a Viking again. Minnesota closed a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday afternoon, a few hours before the NFL deadline, and sent a 2027 third-round pick west to get it done.
Nobody needs to explain the building to him. Cousins spent six seasons in Minnesota, from 2018 to 2023, and the run only stopped when he tore his Achilles at Green Bay in October 2023. He left for Atlanta as a free agent the following spring. Kevin O’Connell, his old head coach, never stopped being close to him.
The timing is not subtle either. The Vikings travel to Lambeau Field on Sunday, and Cousins could well be under center against the Packers.
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Why Minnesota pulled the trigger
Monday night forced the issue. Carson Wentz finished with a single-digit passer rating and three turnovers in a 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills, going 8 of 25 for 81 yards before Max Brosmer replaced him late in the fourth quarter. Kyler Murray is sidelined, and the offense has been stuck for weeks.
The numbers are ugly. Minnesota ranks 31st in passing offense at 160.8 yards per game and 27th in scoring at 18.3 points. Since Cousins left, the Vikings have started eight different quarterbacks.
Justin Jefferson should be smiling. He has only 393 receiving yards this season, tied for 53rd in the league in catches. With Cousins throwing to him, he piled up 354 receptions, 5,338 yards and 29 touchdowns in 54 games, according to the team.
Mendoza’s turn in Las Vegas
The Raiders sit at 4-5 and outside the AFC playoff picture. They had started 3-0, and head coach Klint Kubiak kept backing the 38-year-old Cousins, who threw 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in silver and black.
Now the keys go to Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick. The plan was always to ease him in behind a veteran. That plan is gone, and his first two assignments are Seattle and Denver.
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