Kirk Cousins led the Minnesota Vikings to a 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers in his first start back with the team since being reacquired in a pre-trade deadline deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The 38-year-old signal-caller was nearly moved to tears reflecting on the win, which came at Lambeau Field, the very venue his initial stint with the Vikings ended.
"It was emotional coming to the stadium. Three years ago, tearing my Achilles here," Cousins said with his voice breaking in a postgame interview with ESPN's Lindsey Thiry. "It's been a tough three years. I was just grateful for the opportunity to play here today. Grateful for my teammates and what they did today to make this outcome possible."
Cousins spent six years with the Vikings after signing with the team as a free agent in 2018. The end of his initial stint in Minnesota came in 2023, when he was enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, earning early-season MVP buzz while posting a 103.8 passer rating in a contract year.
However, Cousins' final season in Minnesota ended prematurely. He tore his Achilles in the Vikings' Week 8 game against the Packers, ending his season and sending him into free agency, where he landed with the Atlanta Falcons.
Cousins struggled to find his footing with the Falcons, splitting time as a starter with Michael Penix Jr. before landing with the Raiders to start the 2026 season. The pre-deadline trade brought him back to Minnesota, and the veteran seemed relieved to be given an opportunity to enjoy a full-circle moment after his trying, post-Vikings stint.
"It's been a tough three years," he reiterated. "There's more to the story being written."
Included in that story will be star receiver Justin Jefferson, with whom Cousins acknowledged he was particularly happy to reunite.
"I love being back with him," Cousins said when asked about Jefferson. "He's a competitor. He's a lot of fun to play with."
Jefferson logged nine catches for 74 yards in Cousins' 2026 Vikings debut, marking a season-high in receptions.
But while Cousins is excited about that connection and the Vikings' offense in general, he knows that the team's path to contention will be driven by the performance of Brian Flores' elite stop unit.
"We can talk about offense, but it's the defense," Cousins said. "The defense won us the football game today. They're always gonna give us a chance."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kirk Cousins emotional after Vikings win: 'It's been a tough three years'
