Packers’ defense braces for Vikings QB Kirk Cousins at Lambeau after trade for familiar veteran

The matchup the Green Bay Packers are preparing for is already familiar: Minnesota is set to return to Lambeau Field with Kirk Cousins under center, a Packers release said. The report frames the game as Cousins’ 12th start against Green Bay, a figure tied for the most against a single opponent (including postseason) across his career.

The Vikings’ decision to bring Cousins back is described in the team’s preview as a reaction to a season of shifting quarterbacks in Minnesota. After a successful stretch with Sam Darnold, the Vikings cycled through 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy and later tried other options, and they returned to Cousins after the team’s reported quarterback changes.

In that context, Green Bay also pointed to Cousins’ recent Raiders tenure. Minnesota followed Cousins’ nine-start run with Las Vegas while the Raiders were reportedly developing top pick Fernando Mendoza, and then moved him to Minnesota. The Packers preview also said the compensation included a 2027 third-round pick sent to Las Vegas.

The Packers addressed both the schematic and human side of the return. The preview notes Cousins is a veteran known for adapting and recognizing defenses, and it emphasizes that Green Bay has kept continuity in its Vikings-related personnel and coaching ecosystem: Packers head coach Matt LaFleur previously worked as Cousins’ quarterback coach during Cousins’ early years in Washington.

On the field, Green Bay said it expects to have a core group in place, including its full secondary. Nickel cornerback Javon Bullard was not listed as practicing during the week due to ankle and knee injuries, but the report says he expects to play, and it cites comments from Bullard and safety Xavier McKinney about defending Cousins and executing better.

The Packers also connected the preparation to their own recent defensive concerns. The preview says Green Bay unraveled in the fourth quarter of a Week 1 road loss to Buffalo, after leading entering the final period, and it characterizes Sunday’s game as another chance to prove they can finish.