Packers Kick the Tires on Ex-Vikings QB
By the time the regular season rolls around in September, there’s at least an average chance that former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins plays for the Green Bay Packers. The top boss for the Vikings’ main foe confirmed this week that this staff has kicked the tires on Cousins, who remains available three weeks into free agency.
The idea sounds strange on the surface, but Green Bay may be surveying every veteran path behind Jordan Love.
If the relationship came together, Cousins would serve as the QB2 behind Jordan Love.
Cousins-to-Packers Theory Validated
Never say never, evidently.
Packers GM: We’ve Explored Cousins
The Packers have a QB2 opening and curiously haven’t filled it, with the NFL Draft three weeks away.
Asked this week by reporters if he’s explored Kirk Cousins as an option, general manager Brian Gutekunst replied, “We’ve discussed a lot of those options. Obviously, that’s a guy who’s got a lot of pelts on the wall in this league, so we’ve certainly discussed all those kind of things, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Green Bay currently has Desmond Ridder — also a former Viking — and Kyle McCord on tap to battle for the job this summer.
A Void without Malik Willis
Willis was a hot commodity, and Miami quickly signed him after his breakout campaign in 2025 as the Packers’ QB2. The move made sense because the Dolphins recently hired Jon-Eric Sullivan from Green Bay’s front office as general manager and Jeff Hafley, the Packers’ former defensive coordinator, as head coach, thus maintaining established connections.
Earlier in the offseason, Willis drew interest from Vikings fans, but Minnesota ultimately signed Kyler Murray to a team-friendly contract.
Willis wanted a chance to start, which he will get in Miami, leaving a void in Green Bay, with names like Cousins now in the orbit as a replacement.
The Anthony Richardson Angle
Meanwhile, the rumor mill has also spun a tale involving Richardson to Green Bay, an NFL refugee on his own team in Indianapolis. The Colts re-signed Daniel Jones earlier this month for mucho dinero and apparently like last year’s rookie Riley Leonard.
Richardson needs a new NFL home to get a chance at a Sam Darnold-like redemption story, and as the Packers don’t have a reputable backup quarterback, the stars could align for Richardson in Wisconsin.
Gil Martin, who writes about the Packers, explained last week, “Many observers see parallels between Willis and Richardson. Like Willis, Richardson has a strong arm and excellent athletic ability. Both are mobile quarterbacks who can buy time in the pocket or gain yards using their legs if plays break down.”
“The Packers should offer the Colts the same deal they offered the Titans for Willis. Give Indy a seventh-round pick and see if they bite. If they don’t, the Packers could wait to see if the Colts release Richardson outright if they can’t trade him.”
Richardson has just 15 starts under his belt through three seasons.
Martin continued, “Working with LaFleur and Love and getting a chance to play for a contending team would certainly be enticements for Richardson to sign with the Packers if he is ultimately released. The addition of Richardson could be a win-win for player and team.”
“But there is no need to overpay to get Richardson, especially since he has only one year left on his contract (Willis had two). We’ll see if Gutekunst is able to work out a deal, or if he can find a better backup elsewhere.”
All Other QB2 Options
If Cousins ultimately does not land in Green Bay — he has also been linked to the Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, and Pittsburgh Steelers — the remaining free-agent options look like this:
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Tyrod Taylor
- Skylar Thompson
- Russell Wilson
Via trade, the Packers, in theory, could also explore Will Levis from the Tennessee Titans or Drew Lock from the Seattle Seahawks. SI.com‘s Lane Mills noted on a Levis trade earlier this month, “A trade may benefit both parties to the best possible extent, too. For Tennessee, drawing any sort of value (particularly draft capital) out of a player who isn’t playing in any capacity at this point would be a net positive.”
“On the other hand, for Levis, the opportunity to try again outside of Nashville in an offense that has no other choice is equally appealing. A trade looks like an amicable solution to a slow-rising problem; one that Titans fans shouldn’t be shocked to see some to fruition in due time.”
Or — Green Bay could explore a rookie quarterback from the middle or late rounds next month, possibly Penn State’s Drew Allar or North Dakota State’s Cole Payton.
Cousins will turn 38 this summer. The Packers have the NFL’s eighth-best Super Bowl odds entering April, and sportsbooks expect them to finish second place in the NFC North in 2026, behind the Detroit Lions.
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