Kirk Cousins.
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Say it isn't so. Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins may end up with a rival team that the team wouldn't like.
The Minnesota Vikings and quarterback Kirk Cousins were together for a lengthy run, from 2018 to 2023, and they are still on friendly terms. But, it’s all business in the NFL, and now, Cousins is being linked to a rival that the Minnesota Vikings loathe.
Following his time with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins is a free agent for the 2026-27 NFL season. He still has solid numbers, and during the 2025-26 season with the Falcons, Cousins notched 1,721 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns and five interceptions with a 61.7 percent completion rate and an 84.8 passer rating, according to research from ESPN, over 10 games. So, even though Cousins isn’t a spring chicken, he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, albeit expensive.
Now, Cousins is looking at his options for the 2026-27 season, and there’s one team that stands out. Unfortunately, it’s not a team that the Vikings like in any way.
Former Minnesota Vikings Kirk Cousins Predicted to Land With Rival Franchise
Cousins has been in the league for more than a decade, but he hasn’t been with another NFC North team, other than the Vikings. Atlanta signed Cousins in a four-year, $180 million contract, according to Spotrac research. The quarterback was first drafted by the Washington Redskins, now the Commanders, in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft as the 102nd overall pick out of Michigan State University.
In a Tuesday, March 24 feature for The Athletic, Matt Schneidman gives projections on moves the Green Bay Packers will make for the 2026-27 season.
“It’s a 365-day exercise for Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and his 31 counterparts around the league, even as the 2026 draft sits less than one month away,” he says in the piece. “While most marquee names have found homes, new or old, there is plenty of quality still on the open market with NFL executives and coaches set to descend upon Phoenix, Ariz., next week for the league’s annual meeting.”
For the team’s backup quarterback position, he thinks Cousins would be a great fit. You guessed it, right? “Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love and Malik Willis have all been backup quarterbacks for the Packers,” he notes. “All three could be starting in the NFL come September. Green Bay really values the position, which might make it unlikely that Desmond Ridder or Kyle McCord — the only other quarterbacks on the roster besides Love — are in the No. 2 role come Week 1.”
Kirk Cousins Could Back Up Jordan Love
“Could one of them seize the job with a strong offseason? Sure,” the reporter adds. “It wasn’t until late August 2024 that the Packers traded for Willis since their plan of backing up Love with Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt didn’t pan out. It’s not far-fetched to think Ridder and McCord will also get a fair shot.”
So, even if Cousins wants to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, that option may just not be there at this point in his career. Backing up Love could bring assurance to the Green Bay Packers franchise, even though it wouldn’t make the Minnesota Vikings happy campers.