Matt LaFleur "shocked" Vikings acquired Kirk Cousins for only a third-round pick

Published November 11, 2026 02:14 PM Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was Kirk Cousins’ position coach when the quarterback came into the league. Now the two are set to match up on opposite sidelines again after the Raiders traded Cousins to the Vikings on Tuesday. LaFleur told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that he’s expecting Cousins to start Sunday’s matchup between Minnesota and Green Bay. “Yeah, he’ll be out there. He’ll be starting. Fairly confident in 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.” What did make LaFleur raise an eyebrow was the trade compensation, as Minnesota sent a third-round pick to Las Vegas for Cousins. “I was surprised they didn’t get more for him, quite honestly — I was shocked what they traded him for,” LaFleur said. “It was mind-blowing to me.” While Cousins played under Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2023 and 2024, LaFleur said what Cousins has been doing with the Raiders this year still has relevance when putting together this week’s game plan. “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.” In nine games for the Raiders this year, Cousins completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.