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Matt LaFleur knows Kirk Cousins better than most, and he says he cannot believe how little it cost the Vikings to get him back.
The Packers head coach, who was Cousins’ position coach when the quarterback entered the NFL, reacted to Tuesday’s trade at his Wednesday press conference. Minnesota sent a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for the 38-year-old. LaFleur said that was far too small a price.
“I was surprised they didn’t get more for him, quite honestly,” LaFleur told reporters. “I was shocked when I saw what they traded him for. It was mind-blowing to me.”
The reaction has a direct stake for Green Bay, which hosts the Vikings on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Lambeau Field. LaFleur said he expects to see Cousins under center and not Kyler Murray or Carson Wentz.
“Yeah, he’ll be out there. He’ll be starting. I’m fairly confident of that,” LaFleur said. “Obviously, he’s got familiarity with their system. Even if he didn’t, he’s a really intelligent guy, and I think he’s been playing at a high level.”
That familiarity comes from Cousins’ two seasons playing for Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell in 2022 and 2023, when he threw for 6,878 yards, 49 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in 25 games before a torn Achilles tendon ended his 2023 season at Lambeau Field.
LaFleur said Green Bay will study Cousins’ work with Las Vegas this year, but will also lean on the long history with Minnesota’s scheme.
“You definitely watch some of that, see what he’s had success with, what he’s comfortable with,” LaFleur said. “Obviously, he’s got a long track record with that offense with all those years in Minnesota with Kevin. And there are still a lot of the key pieces that were there with him.”
One of those pieces is receiver Justin Jefferson, who caught passes from Cousins for 5,348 yards from 2020 to 2023, the second-most by any quarterback and pass catcher duo in that span, according to ESPN Research.
The numbers back up LaFleur’s view that Cousins is still playing well. He completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games with the Raiders, and his 20 touchdowns are second in the league.
Minnesota needed the help. The Vikings are 6-2 after a 6-0 start, with the NFL’s top scoring defense but an offense that ranks 31st in yards per game and 27th in points per game. Murray missed Monday night’s 23-6 loss to the Bills with a hamstring strain, and Wentz completed 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards with three turnovers.
The Packers are 6-3 after beating the Patriots last week, though that record still leaves them last in a crowded NFC North. The 7-2 Bears and 6-2 Lions are also in the race, and the Vikings already beat Green Bay in a Week 1 comeback.
Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will be tasked with slowing a quarterback who now has an offense he knows and a defense that needs him.