Minnesota sends a 2027 third-round pick to Las Vegas for the 38-year-old quarterback as the 7-2 Vikings look to fix their offense after two straight losses.
Kirk Cousins is headed back to Minnesota. The Vikings acquired the 38-year-old quarterback from the Raiders on Tuesday for a 2027 third-round pick, according to ESPN, reuniting Cousins with the franchise he previously played for as a free agent.
The move comes after Minnesota opened the season 6-0 before dropping back-to-back games with Carson Wentz starting under center. Through Las Vegas's first nine games this season, Cousins completed 64.1% of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, good for a 97.1 passer rating, on a 4-5 Raiders team.
Cousins is now positioned to take over as Minnesota's starting quarterback in his second stint with the franchise, this time arriving midseason rather than through free agency. The 13-year veteran's finances get stranger before they get simpler: he will be paid by three teams this season, with the Raiders and the Falcons joining the Vikings on his payroll, according to the New York Post. His agent, Mike McCartney, has negotiated large contracts for Cousins throughout his career, and this latest trade keeps that money flowing from multiple directions at once.
Before any of that, Cousins was a three-sport standout at Holland Christian Schools in Holland, Michigan, long before his name turned into an annual deadline storyline.