Jon Gruden wants Vikings to call Raiders on Kirk Cousins

Gruden has been riding with Cousins all year. Now he's floating the idea of sending him back to the place where Cousins played his best football.

Barstool Sports

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Jon Gruden believes that Minnesota needs to make call to the Raiders about Kirk Cousins @ChevyTrucks #ad #Chevy #Silverado

This isn't a random hot take. Cousins only landed in Vegas this offseason, on a 1-year, $11.3 million deal that was built as a bridge. He came partly because he knows head coach Klint Kubiak from their time together in Minnesota. He spent 6 seasons as a Viking before leaving for a 4-year, $180 million deal with Atlanta in March 2024. That went sideways, and now he's back in a Kubiak offense with the No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, waiting behind him.

Gruden isn't calling Cousins a stopgap, either. Back on Wake Up Barstool on October 5, he gave Cousins full credit for the way the Raiders opened the season, and he didn't hedge.

Wake Up Barstool

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“I think the success of the Raiders is a big reason. I mean, it's all Kirk Cousins. This guy has played great quarterback.” – Jon Gruden

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The numbers mostly back him up. Through 5 games, Cousins had thrown 12 touchdowns, completed 65.1% of his passes and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, and Vegas sat at 3-2. That record came after a 45-17 beating from the Patriots in Week 5, though, and Mendoza made his NFL debut in garbage time of that game, going 6-of-8 for 48 yards. Since then, the Las Vegas beat has reported that the switch to the rookie is getting close.

That's the tension in Gruden's pitch. If the Raiders really are about to hand the keys to Mendoza, Cousins becomes the best trade chip on the roster: a cheap veteran on a 1-year deal who already knows the system. Any team that needs a QB to win now, Minnesota included, should at least pick up the phone. In the same Wake Up Barstool segment, Gruden also explained why he likes Cousins' style of play so much.

Wake Up Barstool

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“Cousins has the body quickness, just like Tom Brady had late in his career.” – Jon Gruden

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Whether the Vikings actually want a reunion is a different question. Cousins and Minnesota ended on fine terms, but a team doesn't go back to an ex unless it's desperate, and the Raiders would have to decide that Mendoza is ready before they'd even listen. Keep an eye on 2 things: who Kubiak starts over the next couple of weeks, and whether the Raiders' phone starts ringing before the deadline. If Mendoza gets the job, Gruden's idea starts looking a lot less like talk-show filler.