Time is a flat circle. Kirk Cousins played his last game with the Minnesota Vikings on October 29, 2023. He could play his next game for them on November 15, 2026. Both of those contests happen to be against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

The MN Vikings couldn’t wait any longer after what Kevin O’Connell saw on Monday night. Carson Wentz put up one of the ugliest performances of the season against the Buffalo Bills. That pushed Minnesota to explore the quarterback market again.

Minnesota looked into just about every quarterback named Jones, but going with the veteran it knew always made the most sense. Nolan Teasley took his first swing and knocked it out of the park.

Kirk Cousins returns to MN Vikings

Kirk Cousins signed a one-year deal worth $11.3 million with the Raiders this offseason, and he carries a base salary of just $1.3 million. He served as the veteran mentor for first overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Now he’s back as the leader of a MN Vikings team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Tom Pelissero (The Ringer) reports the deal costs just a 2027 third-round pick. The Vikings have Philadelphia’s 2027 third-round pick from the Jonathan Greenard trade. That selection is likely to land much higher given the Eagles’ 2-7 record.

In nine games this season, Cousins has thrown for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Coming into the weekend, he was one touchdown pass off the league lead. The Raiders aren’t in a position to compete, but Minnesota couldn’t be further from that reality.

Cousins reunites with Justin Jefferson, and the two have plenty of chemistry. In 2022, Cousins threw to Jefferson in all 17 games, and that produced a league-leading 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns. For an offense that needed a jolt, the Vikings just fixed the most important position in the sport.

No stone left unturned by Vikings

Knowing how important the quarterback position is, the Minnesota Vikings cast a wide net. They looked at multiple options and were rebuffed in some of those discussions as well.

If the Vikings were going to go with more of a stop-gap reunion, then Cousins always made the most sense. Geno Smith doesn’t know Minnesota’s playbook, and Daniel Jones was only in Minnesota for a brief period of time.

Of course Justin Herbert would have been a long term fit, albeit the most costly. He has a no trade clause though, and would’ve taken time to move on from his finish with the Chargers as well as acclimating to a knew environment.

At the end of the day, the most logical outcome came to fruition. Minnesota gave up little to get it done, and it certainly seems like the hype train is back on the tracks.