Kirk Cousins, Driven by Faith, Is Back in Minnesota for a Playoff Push
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One of the NFL’s most outspoken Christians is returning to the team where he made his name as a gunslinger —and where fans hope he can revive a struggling offense.
Kirk Cousins was one of the biggest names traded at Tuesday’s NFL deadline, going from the Las Vegas Raiders to a Minnesota Vikings team with one of the league’s top defenses and an offense that has struggled to score in recent weeks. Minnesota held Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen in check on Monday Night Football, but the Vikings failed to score a touchdown in a 23-6 loss to the Bills.
Minnesota, at 6-2 and in first place in its division, is hoping to make a Super Bowl run.
“See you soon, MN!” Cousins wrote in an Instagram post shortly after news broke of the monumental trade.
The trade made sense for both teams. At 4-5, the Raiders are third in the AFC West and face an uphill climb to the playoffs. They already had their quarterback of the future in 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and picked up a 2027 third-round draft pick from Minnesota in the deal. The Vikings, meanwhile, needed a quarterback who could step in and run the offense right away, and Cousins already knew coach Kevin O’Connell’s system, having played under him for two seasons.
Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, played six seasons in Minnesota, the last of which was cut short by a torn Achilles tendon in 2023. He led the Vikings to a 13-4 record and an NFC North title in 2022.
His Instagram profile reads simply: “Believer. Husband. Father,” with Micah 6:8 underneath. That verse reads: “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
In 2023, he told the Sports Spectrum Podcast that he listens to worship music before games to get in the right frame of mind. His playlist at the time included Hillsong, Bethel, Sonicflood, Maverick City Music, Matt Maher, Cory Asbury and Phil Wickham.
“That's really what I listen to in the locker room before games, on the bus, is that type of worship music where you can ... kind of focus your perspective on an eternal perspective and on who God is and His love for you and the trust you're placing in Him,” Cousins said. “That's kind of where I want to be mentally and in my heart going into a game. And so I know nothing else I'd rather listen to than worship music in that moment.”
Cousins said he wants to “impact people for eternity.”
“I don't believe in compartmentalizing your life,” Cousins said. “... People have asked me, ‘Do you pray before games?’ And I say, ‘Well, I do, but I also pray in the first quarter, the second quarter, at halftime and the third quarter [and the fourth quarter].’”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Kevin C Cox/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published November 11, 2026.
