Kirk Cousins Says Kevin O'Connell Convinced Him to Accept Vikings Trade
Back in Minnesota, Cousins said he didn't want to start over somewhere new, while O'Connell stopped short of naming him Sunday's starter at Green Bay
Kirk Cousins had one condition if he was going to be traded this season, and a phone call with Kevin O'Connell met it. Speaking Wednesday at the Vikings' facility, Cousins said a Tuesday afternoon conversation with his former coach convinced him to accept the deal from Las Vegas, ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported.
Minnesota sent a 2027 third-round pick to the Raiders for the 38-year-old, who started for the Vikings from 2018 to 2023. This is the third time he and O'Connell have worked together, going back to O'Connell's time as a quarterbacks coach in Washington.
O'Connell didn't formally name Cousins the starter for Sunday at Green Bay, saying, "That's what we're working towards, but also want to be fair to Kirk and make sure he feels good about it." Packers coach Matt LaFleur was more direct: "He'll be starting. I'm fairly confident of that." Cousins spent Wednesday morning with O'Connell going over the scheme and early game-plan ideas, though the Vikings didn't practice.
The quarterback room behind him is unsettled. Kyler Murray remains out with a strained hamstring, and Carson Wentz, who struggled in Monday's loss to the Bills, is dealing with an ankle injury. O'Connell said Murray will back up Cousins once healthy but didn't commit to Wentz as the No. 2 for now.
Minnesota is 6-2 and leads the NFC North despite back-to-back losses and the league's second-worst offense by EPA. Sunday's trip to Lambeau Field is where Cousins tore his Achilles in his last start as a Viking in 2023.