Kurt Warner raises a major concern for Kevin O’Connell as Kirk Cousins returns to rescue the struggling Vikings offense
Cousins completed 202 of 315 passes for 2,340 yards, with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions during his time in Las Vegas, according to the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders. Warner does not expect Cousins to turn Minnesota into an offense that scores 30 points every week. The Vikings acquired Cousins from the Raiders for a 2027 third-round draft pick, according to the team’s official announcement on November 10. His return also reunites him with O’Connell ahead of their Week 10 meeting with the Green Bay Packers.
However, O’Connell had not officially confirmed Cousins as the starter when the team discussed the trade.
“It’s a big challenge,” Warner said. He said he wanted to give the quarterback enough time to prepare before making that decision. The Minnesota Vikings have brought Kirk Cousins back from the Las Vegas Raiders, hoping the experienced quarterback can help fix their struggling offense. However, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner believes head coach Kevin O’Connell has a bigger problem to solve than getting Cousins ready to play. Warner is concerned about the team’s ability to create chances for its receivers While the quarterback knows Minnesota’s system. “I think the one thing that’s in his favor is that he’s been playing for these first nine weeks. It’s not a guy that hasn’t been playing football, and now you’re trying to bring him in and get him up to speed and get him playing again. He’s been playing, and he’s been playing pretty darn well for the most part over this period of time. He also scored twice on the ground. The Vikings’ recent game against the Buffalo Bills offered a clear example. Carson Wentz struggled to find receivers, but Warner did not believe the quarterback was the only reason for the team’s problems. He felt the receivers were not getting enough separation, making it difficult to complete passes. “I think the second challenge is, and I know you watch the Monday night game, and we saw some of the mistakes that Carson Wentz made. But I will say I didn’t think there was a lot of guys open in that game. There were some guys down the stretch that he missed on some throws. But it wasn’t like guys were running open all over the field throughout the game. Instead, he wants to see the Vikings finish their drives with touchdowns rather than repeatedly settling for field goals. Cousins’ return gives Minnesota an experienced option, but Warner’s warning makes one thing clear: the coach must improve the entire offense, not just the quarterback position.