Kirk Cousins says he has “mixed” feelings about being traded to the Minnesota Vikings midway through his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I have a lot of mixed emotions right now,” Cousins said in an interview with Great Clips the day after the trade. “It’s always hard to say goodbye, especially to people who mean a lot to me, and there are so many here in Vegas.
“There are also a lot of people waiting for me in Minnesota who mean a lot to me, who were hard to say goodbye to three years ago.”
Cousins also expressed excitement about getting another chance to win with the Vikings after only reaching the divisional round in his first stint with the team.
“I understand the challenge on the football field, there’s a lot of work to do, but it would be really special,” Cousins said. “If you want to win somewhere and be successful, I wanted it to be in Minnesota.”
Cousins first played for the Vikings from 2018 to 2023, a span that included two years with current Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. He earned three Pro Bowl nominations and one playoff victory during that span.
He signed with the Falcons in 2024, then spent two seasons with the franchise before signing a new deal with the Raiders to play ahead of No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza this season.
Cousins had led the Raiders to a 4-5 start by completing 64.1 percent of his passes with 2,340 passing yards and 20 touchdowns to eight interceptions before his trade.
“To the fans in Vegas, I am very grateful for the way they have welcomed me with open arms during the several months I have been here. That includes my teammates and the organization,” Cousins said. “I really couldn’t speak more highly of my time here in Vegas.
“For the Minnesota fans, I’m excited to have the chance to come back and hopefully write the end of a story, for me, that started eight, nine years ago when I got here.”
The Vikings defense has allowed the second-fewest yards in the NFL so far this season, but the offense struggled behind Kyler Murray before he suffered a hamstring strain and was replaced last Monday by Carson Wentz.
O’Connell hopes Cousins’ return to his offense can help the Vikings (6-2) end a two-game losing streak and continue to compete for a playoff spot in a stacked NFC North in which all four teams have at least six wins through Week 9.
Gn sports
