Kirk Cousins is returning to familiar territory. The veteran quarterback was traded by the Las Vegas Raiders to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round pick on Tuesday ahead of the NFL trade deadline, rejoining the team he spent seven seasons with and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
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He’s expected to take over as Minnesota’s starting quarterback as the 6-2 Vikings look to continue making a push to win the NFC North and make the playoffs. With the trade, 2026 No. 1 pick and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza will take over as the Raiders’ starting quarterback.
The 38-year-old Cousins — who signed a one-year, $11.3 million contract with the Raiders in April — posted a goodbye to the Raiders on his Instagram story, writing, “Thank you Raiders Nation! Go get em @fernandomendoza.”
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It’s an interesting career turn for Cousins, a respected veteran in his 15th NFL season. He has been vocal about his faith in Christ throughout his time in the league, acknowledging on numerous occasions — such as on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in June after joining the Raiders — that God is in control of his career.
“It’s helped to recognize Who owns my football career,” Cousins said on the podcast, “and I use the word ‘my’ loosely. Once I’ve come to the realization that I’m a steward and it’s my job to steward this football career and this football journey — which means that I need to give great effort, I need to prepare well, I need to lead well, I need to build relationships, there’s plenty for me to do as a steward. But it also frees you up to not stress about things. … The first thing to do in being a steward is to surrender.”
Thanks in large part to arguably the NFL’s best defense, the Vikings jumped out to a 6-0 start before losing their last two games, including a 23-6 home loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. While the defense has continued to perform at a high level, Minnesota has struggled to find the same consistency on offense. Three of its six wins came without scoring an offensive touchdown, and much of those struggles can be traced to inconsistent quarterback play.
The Vikings signed Kyler Murray as a free agent in the offseason to a one-year contract, hoping he could either establish himself as their long-term starter or give 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy more time to develop. But Murray has battled multiple injuries and struggled to find consistency, ranking No. 27 in QBR (45.7). McCarthy, meanwhile, fell to third on the depth chart behind backup Carson Wentz and was traded to the New York Giants on Sept. 28.
The move for Cousins comes after Wentz turned in the worst performance by a Vikings quarterback since 2006. He posted a 2.3 QBR Monday night, completing just 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards with two interceptions and a fumble. Murray was unavailable due to a hamstring strain, and his timeline for return remains uncertain.
Now, with an elite defense and a chance to salvage the season, the Vikings are reuniting Cousins with head coach Kevin O’Connell. The two worked together in Minnesota in 2022 and 2023, and Cousins earned a Pro Bowl selection in ’22 after throwing for 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He started eight games the following season before suffering a torn Achilles.
Minnesota brought back Kirk Cousins after scoring 6 points against Buffalo
• The Vikings are 6-2 despite averaging 18.3 points.
• Carson Wentz threw for 81 yards and 2 picks vs. Buffalo.
• Cousins won 13 games with Kevin O'Connell in 2022. pic.twitter.com/YghD9vZBeB— Green 19 Football (@Green19Football) November 11, 2026
That injury marked a turning point in Cousins’ career. A torn Achilles at age 35 brought uncertainty about his future, but in the immediate aftermath, Cousins leaned on his faith in God as he tried to make sense of what came next — and his words still ring true in light of his latest career developments.
“I so appreciate all the well wishes I’ve received from people,” Cousins said in a press conference following his surgery. “You don’t quite know how many people are in your corner and how many people are praying for you and cheering you on until something like this happens.”
He said he was “excited to write the next chapter and see what God wants to do with it, whatever it may be.”
“I’ve just kind of been reminded again that my career, it’s not my career,” he continued. “It’s His career that I steward, and I’ve just gotta surrender myself and let Him lead where He wants to go. And when that’s a torn Achilles, I have to accept it just as much as if it’s a win on ‘Monday Night Football.’
“… I’m learning to play this sport holding my hands open and say, ‘You know God, whatever You want to do — if that means a torn Achilles — I’ve got to accept that,'” Cousins said, admitting that during his prayer times he’s sometimes been tempted to question God’s perfect plan. “… Ultimately I’ll look back and say, ‘God allowed that to happen, and I am where I am someday because of [the injury], not in spite of [the injury].'”
Since then, Cousins’ career has taken him away from Minnesota and through two other franchises before going back to Minnesota. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, spending two seasons there before joining the Raiders, where he’s thrown for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions through nine games this season.
Through all the changes, his perspective on Who ultimately directs his career has remained the same.
“Wherever you end up playing, you are sent by God, and He has a purpose for you being there,” he said on the podcast.
Cousins is expected to make his return on Sunday, as the Vikings travel to Green Bay to face the Packers at 1 p.m. ET.
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