Packers Matt LaFleur ‘Surprised’ Raiders Didn’t Get More In Kirk Cousins Trade

Kirk Cousins is back in Minnesota. The Vikings acquired Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick, setting up the veteran to start in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers. Still, for a proven starting quarterback familiar with the Vikings offensive system, the modest return has raised questions about whether the Raiders got full market value. That’s exactly what Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was seemingly wondering during his press conference on Wednesday afternoon. While speaking to reporters, he admitted he was stunned by the Raiders return for Cousins. “I was surprised they didn’t get more for [Cousins],” LaFleur said. “Quite honestly, I was shocked when I saw what they traded him for. It was just mind-blowing to me.” Having coached Cousins in Washington in 2012 and 2013 and faced him as an NFC North division rival, LaFleur is well familiar with his skill set. It was a point he drove home to reporters on Wednesday, saying he firmly believes Cousins will be ready to start on Sunday. However, while speaking to reporters on Wednesday following the trade, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell still wouldn’t fully commit. He believes it falls on Cousins and comes down to how he’s feeling within the system and offense. Returning to Lambeau Field still carries extra weight for Cousins. It’s the exact field where he tore his Achilles in Week 8 of the 2023 season, which ultimately became his final game in a Vikings uniform before he signed with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason. This makes his return to Green Bay quite a fitting full-circle moment. In the lead-up to the trade, few teams in the league were more desperate for a quarterback upgrade. Between injuries to Kyler Murray and a glaring lack of stability from Carson Wentz during Monday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, they had no choice but to make a move. That reasoning is why many could have believed the asking price for Cousins should be steeper. However, with No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza seemingly ready to take over, it’s possible that the Raiders simply took the best offer on the table by the time the deadline arrived. Now that Cousins is reunited with the Vikings, the first big test comes on Sunday when LaFleur and the Packers welcome a familiar foe. Sitting at 6-2 and fighting for position in a crowded NFC North, a trip to Lambeau is next in line for this new-look Vikings offense.