The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, sending a 2027 third-round draft pick to Las Vegas, ESPN reported.
Kirk Cousins trade details
The trade reunited Cousins with the Vikings after Las Vegas dealt the veteran signal-caller to Minnesota in exchange for a 2027 third-round selection, according to ESPN. The move came as the Raiders turned to their top draft pick, Fernando Mendoza, whom the team officially named its starting quarterback the same day, ESPN reported.
Packers coach reaction
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who was Cousins’ position coach when the quarterback entered the league, said he expects Cousins to start when the Vikings and Packers meet this weekend and voiced surprise at the compensation Minnesota gave up for Cousins, ProFootballTalk reported.
LaFleur told reporters, “He’ll be starting,” and added that he was taken aback by the size of the return, calling the deal shocking, ProFootballTalk reported.
Cousins’ 2026 numbers and context
ProFootballTalk noted Cousins played nine games for the Raiders in 2026, completing 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Those figures were part of the context LaFleur said he would study when preparing his team’s game plan, per ProFootballTalk.
Raiders’ quarterback decision
ESPN reported the Raiders named Fernando Mendoza their starting quarterback on Tuesday after the trade, with the team saying the No. 1 pick “passed every test,” according to an ESPN story that announced Mendoza as the Raiders’ QB1.
Sources: ESPN, ProFootballTalk