Kirk Cousins reunion is about Vikings maximizing their roster; fellow QB Kyler Murray in line for reserve role

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterback Kirk Cousins are separated by about 3 years of age. Before they spent two seasons together in Minnesota, they first worked with one another in Washington. They have a history of being in lockstep. It apparently repeated itself on Tuesday. On the day of the league’s trade deadline, the 41-year-old O’Connell, now in his fifth season leading the Vikings, had been granted permission to contact the 38-year-old Cousins, who was nine starts into his 15th NFL season. But as O’Connell was dialing Cousins, the veteran signal-caller dialed the renowned play-caller. “I don't know how that works on the iPhone, but I think if I had to hit the green button, it was me who picked up,” O’Connell said, explaining the uncanny moment. Cousins told reporters in his Wednesday news conference that Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak were essentially putting the ball in the QB’s court , when it came to his then-potential trade to the Vikings. “And I said, 'Well, let me talk to Kevin,’” Cousins said. “Just wanted to give him a call and get on the same page, and [I] thought we had a good conversation. … Kevin knows me. Kevin knows what I do well. Kevin knows what I don't do well. Kevin knows what I can handle. Kevin knows what I can't handle. And I think that helps.” O’Connell said that, coming out of that phone conversation, he felt “really strongly” about the move the Vikings had on the table. It got done, with the Raiders sending Cousins back to Minnesota, where the four-time Pro Bowler last played from 2018-23, and Vegas getting a 2027 third-round pick in exchange . What does this mean for Kyler Murray? The Cousins trade had a ripple effect across the NFL. Not only did it stimulate plenty of conversation — even Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur offered his take on the transaction Wednesday — but it also marked the beginning of the Fernando Mendoza era in Las Vegas . This year’s No. 1 overall pick had been learning under Cousins and now has the keys to the Raiders’ offense. As for Minnesota, its season-opening QB1, Kyler Murray, will take a backseat. The game of musical chairs at a position O’Connell played and then earned significant praise for developing continues, this time with a full-circle moment that’s a bit surreal. Cousins joining a Vikings team that won its first six games of the season before dropping two in a row could signify the beginning of the end of the Murray experiment in Minnesota. The Vikings inked the two-time Pro Bowler to a one-year deal this past offseason , reportedly on the veteran minimum. Murray, a dual-threat QB whom the Arizona Cardinals selected first overall back in 2019, was named Minnesota’s starter over 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings wound up trading the still-23-year-old McCarthy to the New York Giants in late September. McCarthy’s gone on to inject some hope into a 5-2-1 Giants team that lost Jaxson Dart for the year in Week 2. Meanwhile, Murray had a difficult time finding a groove under O’Connell. Injuries disrupted him, too. Murray suffered a concussion early in the season opener . Now he’s dealing with a hamstring strain that kept him out of Monday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. Murray remains “week-to-week” with that injury, O’Connell said Wednesday. When asked directly if Murray will have a chance to battle for the first-string quarterback job when he’s healthy again, O’Connell indicated that a midseason competition at the position isn’t really feasible. “We acquired Kirk to join a 6-2 football team and play,” O’Connell noted. O’Connell delivered the news of the Cousins deal to a quarterback room that consists of not only Murray but also veteran Carson Wentz and second-year QB Max Brosmer, both of whom played in the 23-6 defeat to the Bills. When discussing Murray and Wentz specifically, O’Connell said they know that general manager Nolan Teasley as well as he and every other team staffer involved in the trade were “making it in the best interest of the Minnesota Vikings.” “We're trying to do everything we can to become the best version of our team this year in 2026,” O’Connell said. “We have a lot of confidence in what that can be, but we also know that it's almost the middle of November. So the time is upon us where we need to be the type of team that we want to be to hopefully matter when December and January roll around.” Teasley pointed out in his appearance Wednesday: “The quarterback position is one that can impact the entire team. And, in all honesty, this roster has earned the right to explore the potential to maximize where we can take this thing.” Minnesota has a Super Bowl-caliber defense. Led by esteemed coordinator Brian Flores, the unit is allowing only 14.5 points per game, the fewest any team is giving up this season. Conversely, the Vikings’ offense is 27th in the league with 18.3 points per game. For reference, during the 2022 campaign, Cousins’ lone full season with O’Connell in Minnesota, the Vikings went 13-4 and averaged 24.9 points, good for the eighth most of any team in the NFL that time around. O’Connell didn’t close the door on Murray’s long-term future in Minnesota and reminded the assembled media that every player needs to be prepared because of how volatile the NFL can be. For now, though, Murray has to get healthy. Wentz, who’s nursing a minor ankle injury, could be Cousins’ backup in the meantime. The goal is for Cousins to start Sunday on the road against the Packers, but neither O’Connell nor Cousins could commit to that happening on Wednesday. ‘You feel his energy right away’ If Cousins does in fact start on Sunday in Green Bay, it will be quite the scene. Lambeau Field is where he played his last game for the Vikings, an appearance that was cut short by an Achilles tear that required him to be carted off and ultimately undergo season-ending surgery amid the 2023 campaign. The subsequent offseason, Cousins signed a massive deal with the Atlanta Falcons , and the Vikings drafted McCarthy as his replacement. Cousins’ two-season run in Atlanta didn’t go according to plan. The Falcons immediately drafted Michael Penix Jr. No. 8 overall, plus Cousins dealt with more injuries, notably picking up shoulder and elbow issues before being benched 14 games into his first go-around with the team. He was pretty effective in Vegas, however. Cousins threw 20 touchdown passes against eight picks while going 4-5 with the Raiders. Only Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow has tossed more TDs (23) in the 2026 season. A lot’s gone down since Cousins’ last Vikings game at Lambeau. “It means a lot to play at Lambeau Field no matter what the circumstances,” he said Wednesday. “I think knowing that that was where I was carted off and had thoughts, 'Is this my last game and is this my last game as a Viking?' and to be back there wearing the purple and gold, it has meaning, but you have to go make it mean something with the way you play.” O’Connell said it’s already been great having Cousins back in the building, adding that “you feel his energy right away.” It’s clear Cousins’ relationships with Vikings personnel were lasting. He won’t have to start over in that department. On the other hand, he will need a new place to live. Cousins shared that his previous home was sold quickly when he knew his first Vikings run came to an end. His wife, Julie, is in the process of helping his family find a new spot. “They're over across the street in the hotel with my boys, and we're figuring it out,” Cousins said. “I was hoping they were going to come with me, but I said, 'What are you thinking, Julie?' It was her call. And she said, 'I don't think we can pull the boys out of school and baseball and their friends.' “She picked them up from school, and she said, 'Here's the situation. Dad got traded to the Minnesota Vikings. What would you guys want to do?' And they looked at her, and they said, 'Let's go.' So they're across the street, and they're ready and excited for the next several weeks.” Teasley was asked if bringing on Cousins could be a solution that extends beyond this season. “There's always potential for that, but this is really about 2026,” he said, “and that's where we're focused. But we understood everything that we were inheriting. So we'll take that into account, and then when that time comes, we'll address it.” Cousins’ familiarity with O’Connell and his offense will allow him to somewhat seamlessly slide back into things. Vikings quarterbacks have registered a combined 60.9% completion rate this season. That figure hardly satisfies a completion-based scheme. Cousins should be able to rectify that. As O’Connell explained Wednesday, where there’s completions to be had, Cousins is going to find them. “The expectation I know Kirk's going to put on himself is going to be high, and that's one of the things you love about him,” O’Connell said, “but I also want to make sure that we can progressively build this thing and not ask too much of him early on, knowing that we want to be playing our best football in December. “We want to be playing our best football in December, but also make sure that we understand the point in the season that we're at right now, we need to specifically start playing better on offense and more consistent to be the team we think we can become.”