Kirk Cousins' 1st Reaction to Vikings-Raiders Trade Revealed, Opens Up on 'Mixed' Emotions

Kirk Cousins says he has "mixed" feelings about being traded back to the Minnesota Vikings in the middle of his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders.

"I've got a lot of emotions right now that are mixed," Cousins said in an interview with Great Clips the day after the trade. "Always difficult to say goodbye, especially to people that mean a great deal to me, and there are so many of them here in Vegas.

"There's also a lot of people waiting for me in Minnesota that mean a great deal to me, that it was difficult to say goodbye to three years ago."

Cousins also expressed excitement about getting another chance to win with the Vikings after getting only as far as the divisional round in his first stint with the team.

"I understand the challenge on the football field, there's a lot of work to go get done, but it would be really special," Cousins said. "If you're going to go win somewhere and have success, I wanted it to be in Minnesota."

Cousins first played for the Vikings from 2018 to 2023, a span that included two years with current Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell. He earned three Pro Bowl nods and one playoff win over that span.

He signed with the Falcons in 2024, then spent two seasons with the franchise before he inked a new deal with the Raiders to play in front of top draft pick Fernando Mendoza this season.

Cousins had led the Raiders to a 4-5 start by completing 64.1 percent of his passes with 2,340 passing yards and 20 touchdowns to eight interceptions prior to his trade.

"To the fans in Vegas, I just feel so grateful for how they welcomed me with open arms for the several months I was here. That includes teammates, the organization," Cousins said. "I really couldn't speak more highly of my time here in Vegas.

"To the fans in Minnesota, I'm thrilled to have a chance to come back, and to hopefully write the ending to a story, for me, that started eight, nine years ago when I first arrived."

The Vikings' defense has allowed the second-fewest yards against in the NFL so far this season, but the offense struggled behind Kyler Murray before he suffered a hamstring strain and was replaced last Monday by Carson Wentz.

O'Connell will hope slotting Cousins back into his offense can help the Vikings (6-2) snap a two-game losing streak and continue competing for a playoff spot in a stacked NFC North in which all four teams had earned at least six wins through Week 9.