Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is returning to the Minnesota Vikings from the Las Vegas Raiders, reports said Tuesday, as the NFL neared its mid-season trade deadline. Cousins, 38, who has started nine games for the Raiders this season, heads to the Vikings in exchange for a 2027 third round draft pick, ESPN and the NFL Network reported. The move aims to rejuvenate a misfiring Minnesota offense which has struggled for points in recent games.
The Vikings, who began the season 6-0, have suffered back-to-back defeats in recent weeks, with the team losing 23-6 to the Buffalo Bills in Minneapolis on Monday. That most recent loss was marked by an abject performance from backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who made just two completions and was intercepted twice. Cousins is now returning to the club where he spent five successful seasons between 2018 and 2023.
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It also reunites Cousins with head coach Kevin O’Connell, who was in charge for the quarterback’s final two seasons in his previous spell with the club. Cousins has enjoyed a solid start with the Raiders this season, throwing 20 touchdown passes — the second-highest in the NFL.
In other trade news on Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers completed a swoop for veteran Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen. Allen, 34, bolsters a San Francisco offense whose pool of receivers has been decimated by injury, with Ricky Pearsall, Mike Evans, and Deebo Samuel all missing games.
© 2024 AFP
