Kirk Cousins is swapping the Las Vegas Strip for a Minnesota winter, and his family chose to give the desert a warm sendoff on the way out.

The Minnesota Vikings announced Tuesday that they had traded a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for the 38-year-old quarterback, pending a physical. The deal brings him back to the franchise he led from 2018 to 2023.

Kirk Cousins’ Wife Pens a Message After QB’s Trade to Minnesota

Julie Cousins, his wife, framed the family’s latest move in three words in a farewell as they got ready to leave for Minnesota: “Another adventure awaits.” Her goodbye to Las Vegas, though, ran through their younger son Turner’s Little League playoff game.

“1 hour until we leave for Minnesota. Turner wanted one last at-bat in his Little League playoff game. We love you, Las Vegas!” she wrote on Instagram.

After the trade news broke Tuesday, Pro Football Network posted a rundown of the QB’s ranks among all NFL QBs this season at age 38. The list was led by his 80.5 mark in PFN’s NFL QB Impact Grade through Week 9, 11th of 35 graded quarterbacks.

Vikings Reunite With Kirk Cousins After a Rough Monday Night

The reunion came together the day after Minnesota’s offense stalled again. The Vikings never reached the end zone in Monday’s 23-6 home loss to the Buffalo Bills, the third time this season they have been held without a touchdown.

Carson Wentz completed 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble.

Minnesota has just one more touchdown than the winless Chargers, outlining why the franchise needed to make a change under center.

Asked after the game about possibly trading for a quarterback, coach Kevin O’Connell said, “We’ve had dialogue about a lot of different positions … we’ll get right to work on any potential moves.”

The Vikings decided to go back to a quarterback they know well.

Cousins Returns to the Team He Led for Six Seasons

In his six seasons with the Vikings, Cousins was a team captain every year and went 50-37-1 in 88 starts, throwing for 23,265 yards with 171 touchdowns and 55 interceptions. In 2022, the first of his two seasons under O’Connell, Minnesota went 13-4 to win the NFC North.

His first Vikings run ended with a torn Achilles eight starts into the 2023 season, and free agency then sent the family south to the Atlanta Falcons on a four-year, $180 million deal.

Atlanta turned out to be a two-year stop. The Falcons released him after the 2025 season with 22 starts on his ledger there, and the Raiders gave him the keys to open 2026.

What the Vikings Are Getting and Where They Go Next

Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowler in his 15th NFL season. Through Week 9, he has 2,340 passing yards (fifth in the NFL) and 20 touchdown passes (second), against eight interceptions.

His 97.1 passer rating ranks 11th of 31 qualified quarterbacks, and according to Next Gen Stats, 20.3% of his throws have gone into tight windows, the second-highest rate among 31 qualified quarterbacks.

Back in the desert, the Raiders (4-5), third in the AFC West, host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick who spent all nine of Cousins’ starts this season as his understudy, is in line to take over as the starter, with Aidan O’Connell as his backup.

The Vikings (6-2), second in the NFC North, head to Lambeau Field the same day for a Week 10 meeting with the Green Bay Packers, the team Cousins was facing when he tore his Achilles in 2023.