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By Ellis Williams
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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has coached quarterback Kirk Cousins and spent years preparing to face him. The price the Minnesota Vikings paid to bring Cousins back still caught him off guard.
Speaking Wednesday, LaFleur questioned the return the Las Vegas Raiders received in Tuesday’s deadline deal. Minnesota sent a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft for the 38-year-old quarterback, with both teams announcing the trade pending a physical.
“I was surprised they didn't get more for him, quite honestly," LaFleur said at his weekly presser. "I was shocked when I saw what they were trading him for."
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LaFleur will not have to wait long to see what the move means for the NFC North. The Packers host the Vikings at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Green Bay enters at 6-3, while Minnesota is 6-2 after consecutive losses.
The reaction carries some history. LaFleur was Cousins’ quarterbacks coach in Washington during the passer’s first two NFL seasons in 2012 and 2013. Green Bay’s account of LaFleur’s coaching background details that connection, which predates their meetings as division rivals.
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Cousins also brings more than familiarity to Minnesota. He threw for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine starts for Las Vegas this season, completing 64.1 percent of his passes with a 97.1 passer rating, according to the Raiders’ trade announcement. Las Vegas is 4-5 and now has an opening for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick in the 2026 draft.
For the Vikings, the urgency was obvious before the deadline. Quarterback Kyler Murray has been sidelined by a hamstring strain, and Carson Wentz struggled in Monday’s 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Wentz completed eight of 25 passes for 81 yards with two interceptions before backup Max Brosmer took over late.
Minnesota acquired a player who already knows head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Cousins spent six seasons with the Vikings from 2018 through 2023, including O’Connell’s first two years in charge. He then played two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before joining the Raiders in April.
That experience should help with a quick transition, though it does not settle who will start Sunday. Minnesota’s announcement of the acquisition did not name a Week 10 starter.
Minnesota retained the 2027 pick it acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in the trade involving edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
LaFleur’s assessment was straightforward. A division rival added a productive, familiar quarterback without giving up a premium first- or second-round pick. Now Green Bay has to prepare for the possibility of seeing him immediately.
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