Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was Kirk Cousins’ coach when the quarterback entered the league.
Now, the two are set to face off again on the opposite sideline after the Raiders traded Cousins to the Vikings on Tuesday.
LaFleur told reporters during his Wednesday news conference that he expects Cousins to start Sunday’s game between Minnesota and Green Bay.
“Yeah, he’ll be out there. He’ll start. Pretty confident in that,” LaFleur said. “Obviously he knows their system. Even if he didn’t know it, he’s a really smart guy and I think he plays at a high level.”
What made LaFleur raise an eyebrow was the trade compensation, as Minnesota sent a third-round pick to Las Vegas for Cousins.
“I was surprised they didn’t get more for him, quite honestly — I was shocked at what they traded him for,” LaFleur said. “It was mind-blowing to me.”
While Cousins played under Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2023 and 2024, LaFleur said what Cousins did with the Raiders this year was still relevant when developing this week’s game plan.
“You definitely look at some of that, see what he’s been successful with, what he’s comfortable with,” LaFleur said. “Obviously, he’s got a long track record in this offense, with all those years in Minnesota with Kevin. And (there’s still) a lot of key pieces that were there with him.”
In nine games with the Raiders this year, Cousins completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
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