Kirk Cousins Takes Major Step Toward Starting After Vikings Reunion

Detailed summary

“Kirk Cousins handled the first-team reps at Vikings practice today and is on track to start Sunday against the Packers. Kevin O’Connell had said yesterday that it was too early…

Kirk Cousins is moving closer to a return as the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback.

The 38-year-old veteran handled first-team reps ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Green Bay Packers, strengthening expectations that he will lead the offense days after rejoining the team.

“Kirk Cousins handled the first-team reps at Vikings practice today and is on track to start Sunday against the Packers. Kevin O’Connell had said yesterday that it was too early to outright name Cousins as the Sunday starter, but — unsurprisingly — he is in fact on track to start,” Matt Zenitz reported.

Minnesota reacquired Cousins from Las Vegas on Tuesday, sending a 2027 third-round pick. He played for the Vikings from 2018 to 2023, before his two-year stint in Atlanta, giving him immediate familiarity with O’Connell’s offense.

Before Tuesday’s trade, Cousins put together a productive nine-game stretch in Las Vegas, going 4-5 while completing 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. His 97.1 passer rating marked his highest efficiency since his last season in Minnesota in 2023, highlighted by a 3-0 September start in which he threw three touchdowns in each of his first three games. While he closed his Raiders tenure with a three-interception loss to San Francisco, his steady overall play gave Las Vegas a reliable bridge while grooming No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

“He’s been calling plays in some different offenses over the last couple of years, so we’re working through just getting him comfortable, getting him up to speed,” O’Connell said. “He’s really smart. A lot of things come back quick to him.”

O’Connell had not named Cousins the starter earlier in the week, saying he wanted to make sure the quarterback was comfortable. But he said the Vikings “acquired Kirk to join a 6-2 football team and play.”

Justin Jefferson welcomed the reunion. The receiver spoke about Cousins’ return for the first time and praised his leadership in the meeting room…

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Opening of the article, excerpted from Newsweek. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.