Sunday’s win over Green Bay offered a revealing first look at Kirk Cousins back with the Minnesota Vikings. He had joined the team just days earlier, with only two full practices behind him, yet the Vikings managed to win at Lambeau Field, a stadium steeped in football history.
The result also raised a question: might Cousins and Minnesota have been better off never parting ways?
After the game, coach Kevin O’Connell said it had been a pleasure working with Cousins again. Cousins, for his part, spoke about the ups and downs of his career and said the three years since leaving Minnesota had been difficult. He was grateful to be back with the team, he said, while noting there was still more of the story to come.
The years since their split in March 2024 have been bumpy for both sides. Cousins signed a major deal with Atlanta, seemingly expecting to finish his career there. But the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round shortly afterward, and the rookie took over as starter before that season ended.
Cousins spent much of 2025 on the bench before joining the Raiders the following offseason. He understood he was expected to serve as a bridge to Fernando Mendoza. Then, last week, that arrangement changed unexpectedly.
Minnesota’s plan after Cousins left didn’t exactly work out smoothly either. The Vikings had Sam Darnold and first-round pick J.J. McCarthy in the mix, and appeared confident they could find a suitable replacement. Darnold moved on, McCarthy struggled to establish himself, and neither Carson Wentz nor Kyler Murray provided a lasting answer.
So last week, the Vikings turned back to Cousins, who had been their quarterback from 2018 through 2023. Against Green Bay, he looked like an upgrade. Minnesota built a 20-point lead in the third quarter, then scored twice more as the Packers tried to fight back.
It wasn’t a flawless performance. Cousins threw an interception and still has things to clean up. But his presence seemed to lift the offense: Justin Jefferson looked more engaged, and the running game found more room as Green Bay had to account for the pass.
The Vikings’ defense also took advantage of playing with a lead, sacking Jordan Love eight times—the most by any team in a game this season. O’Connell said it was one of the first times this year that Minnesota had played complementary football.
Cousins was careful not to treat one win as the final word on his return or the Vikings’ season. Still, the reunion has started well, and it’s hard not to wonder whether the two sides might have been better off staying together in the first place.
