Kirk Cousins will wear No. 8 again for Vikings, as Minnesota weighs whether to start him against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, just days after acquiring him from Las Vegas at the trade deadline. The number is the one he wore in his first spell with the team, and the return to it is a small sign of how quickly the Vikings want him to feel at home.
Why it matters
Head coach Kevin OConnell stopped short of naming Cousins the starter on Wednesday, and the team is preparing him for a potential return to the field against the team he knows best. The Vikings are scheduled to practice on Thursday and Friday, with game designations due on Friday, and the decision on who starts against Green Bay will come late in the week.
The depth chart behind Cousins is uncertain. Kyler Murray is still recovering from a hamstring injury, and Carson Wentz now has an ankle issue, leaving the quarterback room stretched thin. Minnesota did not practice on Wednesday, so the listed participation levels were estimates, not evidence that either injured quarterback completed an on field session.
What happens next
The wider Week 11 card adds to the stakes. The Giants host the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football, and the weekend brings five games between ranked college teams, with Georgia hosting Missouri and Indiana hosting USC. The Vikings and the Packers play on Sunday, and the result will shape the division race.
For now, Cousins is the plan and the injuries are the problem. If he starts, it will be a homecoming against the Packers with a week of preparation. If he does not, the Vikings will turn to a depth chart that is already stretched thin, and the decision will come late in the week.
The Vikings are scheduled to practice on Thursday and Friday, with game designations due on Friday. The decision on who starts against Green Bay will come late in the week, after the Friday practice reports are filed. Cousins arrives knowing the building, the fans and the expectations, and the team has the pieces around him to win now.
