Vikings’ Kirk Cousins To Start In Week 10

Considering Cousins’ experience in O’Connell’s system and the veteran QB having worked with the Vikings’ top skill-position players during his first stint, it would have been a surprise — especially given Carson Wentz’s alarming play Monday night — if the trade acquisition was not at the controls in Green Bay. Cousins will follow Joe Flacco, who took over as the Bengals’ starter in a Green Bay matchup five days after being acquired via trade last season.

This will be Cousins’ 177th career regular-season start and 89th as a Viking. Minnesota sent Las Vegas its own 2027 third-round pick for Cousins, keeping the Philadelphia selection obtained in the Jonathan Greenard trade. Cousins’ 88 starts as a Vikings QB trail only Fran Tarkenton (177) and Tommy Kramer (128) in franchise history.

Raiders GM John Spytek gave Cousins a choice of staying in Vegas, where he would eventually have been replaced by Fernando Mendoza, or returning to Minnesota. Cousins, who had said he never wanted to leave the Twin Cities in the first place as a 2024 free agent, chose to come back for the chance to start on an NFC playoff contender.

Now 38, Cousins comes back having thrown the NFL’s second-most touchdown passes (20) this season. The nine-game Raiders starter sits 12th in QBR and has averaged 7.4 yards per attempt this season. That came with a Raiders team featuring a moderately talented receiving corps, albeit one employing All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers.

The Vikings have seen All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson’s historic pace slowed as a result of shaky QB play. Wentz, Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer have not come close to matching what Cousins and Sam Darnold offered in O’Connell’s offense. With Brian Flores’ defense one of the NFL’s best units, the Vikings made one of the most consequential in-season QB trades in many years by reacquiring Cousins to jumpstart the offense.

ESPN FPI gives the Vikings, who started 6-0 but have lost their past two games, an 84% chance to make the playoffs. Though, Minnesota still has road games in Green Bay, San Francisco, New England to go with home matchups against Detroit and Chicago. Cousins should give the Vikes a better chance to do what they need to over the season’s second half and reach the playoffs, but given the NFC North’s strength and the Seahawks and Rams lurking at 5-4, the Vikings are far from assured a playoff spot despite their hot start.