The Minnesota Vikings finally made the announcement that many have been expecting for several days.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins will start against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10, head coach Kevin O'Connell announced on Friday, Nov. 13. The intra-divisional game will mark the start of Cousins' second stint in Minnesota, three years after his last game for the Vikings.
"Kirk Cousins will start the football game. Cannot give him enough credit for coming in here, how he's gone about the week. Both him and the coaching staff getting him ready to go, working extremely hard, using all the time we possibly can," O'Connell said.
"It's been really impressive, what he's been able to do ... just getting right back in the huddle with a lot of guys he's played
with, but certainly some guys he hasn't. It's been something that everybody's been very, very impressed by. Excited to start Kirk in the game, see him play on Sunday."
Coincidentally, the upcoming Nov. 15 clash will be Cousins' second straight matchup against the Packers as the Vikings' starting quarterback. The last game the 38-year-old played for Minnesota, in 2023, was also at Lambeau Field.
Cousins' first stint with the Vikings ended unceremoniously – trainers had to cart him off of the field after he tore his Achilles during a game his team went on to win. In the offseason that followed, the Vikings allowed him to walk in free agency, and he went on to sign a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Cousins said in his (re-)introductory press conference with the Vikings on Nov. 11 that he expects the Week 10 game to be meaningful. It's both his first game back with Minnesota but also his return to Lambeau Field for the first time since the 2023 injury.
"It means a lot to play at Lambeau Field, no matter what the circumstances," Cousins said. "Knowing that that was where I was carted off, and I had thoughts of, 'Is this my last game? Is this my last game as a Viking?' To be back out there, wearing the purple and gold. It has meaning, but you have to go make it mean something with the way you play."
In nine starts with the Las Vegas Raiders this season, Cousins has a 4-5 record. He was 202-of-315 passing for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His 97.1 passer rating so far this season is his highest since his previous stint with Minnesota.
The Vikings are hoping the addition of Cousins will help kick-start an offensive resurgence. The team has lost two straight following a 6-0 start, and it sits in third place in a tightly contested NFC North.
While the defense has been a strong point – the 14.5 points per game the unit has allowed so far is the fewest in the league – the offense has struggled. Minnesota's 18.3 points scored per game are sixth-fewest in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vikings name Week 10 starter vs Packers after Kirk Cousins trade
