The Las Vegas Raiders closed the brief Kirk Cousins era on Nov. 10 when they traded the veteran QB to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 third-round pick. Moreover, should the Vikings go with Cousins to start Week 10, that would mean he’s facing the Green Bay Packers.
Cousins has a passer rating of 97.1 with 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in nine games this season, per StatMuse. So the former Raiders QB had been playing well all season leading up to the trade.
As a result, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur noted that he was surprised by what the Vikings ended up sending the Raiders for the veteran as he now prepares to likely face Cousins.
“He’ll be out there,” LaFleur told reporters on Nov. 11. “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.
“I was surprised they didn’t get more for him, quite honestly. I was shocked when I saw what they traded him for. It was mind-blowing to me.”
Kirk Cousins Has Message for Raiders After Trade to Vikings
On Nov. 11, Cousins spoke to the media in Minnesota and noted how hard it was to leave the Raiders, given the connection that he was building with his teammates as they are in the playoff hunt despite being 4-5.
“Want to say thank you to the Raiders for the opportunity they gave me this past offseason and a chance they gave me to play, and the way they handled things with Minnesota over the last 24 hours,” Cousins told reporters. “So I’m grateful for them and the people there. Certainly, it was tough to leave a building where you’ve spent some time with the guys and built a rapport, but I also knew I was headed to a building where I know a lot of guys and have a great rapport.
“I’m grateful to be coming to a team that has a lot of ability, is well coached, and has a lot of promise here in the back half of the season. So I’m excited to be a part of it and hopefully contribute the best I can.”
Rob Gronkowski on Las Vegas Trading Kirk Cousins
With the veteran now gone, former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski shared his thoughts on the Raiders’ decision to trade Cousins as the team got fair value for a player who helped them with the development process of Fernando Mendoza.
“It threw me off by surprise,” Gronkowski said during a Nov. 11 appearance on “Up & Adams.” “But let me tell you, it totally makes sense all across the board. You have to give it to John Spytek, their general manager. That was one of the best uses of a quarterback in NFL history, Kay. There’s no doubt about that.
“He signed Kirk Cousins to a deal, a relatively cheap deal, and got the most out of him. He led the league in touchdown passes thrown. He’s having a heck of a year, and then boom, he trades him and gets value in return.”
Packers HC Drops Candid Admission on Raiders’ Kirk Cousins Trade