Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he would not be surprised if the recently acquired Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins starts against his team in Week 10. However, what surprised him is that the Vikings were able to add Cousins for such a cheap draft cost.
“I was surprised they didn’t get more for him, quite honestly,” said LaFleur in his Wednesday press conference. “I was shocked when I saw what they traded him for. I just— it was mind-blowing to me.”
The Vikings traded a third-round pick for the 15-year veteran.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Shocked Over Kirk Cousins Trade
The quote is very reminiscent of Mike Tomlin discussing the Cincinnati Bengals trading for Joe Flacco when Tomlin was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tomlin called the trade shocking, although he was mostly referring to the Cleveland Browns trading a quarterback to a team within the division.
“To be honest, it was shocking to me,” Tomlin said last year. “Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area, but that’s just my personal feelings.”
Tomlin was a touch more pointed than LaFleur, but both coaches were shocked that their division rival was able to fix their quarterback problem without paying a steeper price.
Packers Expect to See Cousins in Week 10
LaFleur noted that while Cousins was added on Tuesday and the game is on Sunday, the Vikings will likely have him ready to play in Week 10.
“Yeah, he’ll be out there,” said LaFleur on who expects to play quarterback against the Packers. “He’ll be starting. I’m fairly confident of that. Obviously, he’s got familiarity with their system, even if he didn’t. He’s a really intelligent guy, and I think he’s been playing at a high level.”
Cousins playing at such a high level is why LaFleur is surprised that Cousins was moved. He had 20 touchdowns to four interceptions. LaFleur admitted that while Cousins is familiar with Kevin O’Connell and they will run the Vikings offense, he still plans to watch Cousins from this season with Las Vegas.
“No, I think there’s some relevancy there,” said LaFleur on studying Cousins. “You definitely watch some of that. See what he’s had success with, what he’s comfortable with.”
However, he noted that they will still lean on what he can do with Minnesota.
“Obviously, he’s got a long track record with that offense,” said LaFleur on Cousins’ time with the Vikings. “You know, with all those years in Minnesota with Kevin and a lot of— you know, there’s a lot of the key pieces that were there with him.”
Cousins is the best quarterback that Justin Jefferson has had in his NFL career. So, LaFleur is worried that this could be unlocking the All-Pro. We will see how Cousins looks in Week 10.
Packers Coach Makes Shocking Admission on Rival Trade