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The Green Bay Packers lost their backup QB, Malik Willis, this offseason, and the team’s general manager admitted they kicked the tires on a former Minnesota Vikings signal-caller to possibly fill that role.
Willis left Green Bay in free agency to sign with the Miami Dolphins to be their starting QB, and the Packers need security behind Jordan Love to ensure that if any injury or suspension happens to him, they have a reliable backup that can win them games.
As a result, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst admitted that the team has pondered going after veteran QB Kirk Cousins, who knows the NFC North division from his time with the Vikings.
“Yeah, we’ve discussed a lot of those options,” Gutekunst said on if they discussed signing Cousins (h/t Matt Schneidman of The Athletic). “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.”
Cousins earned a 76.0 overall PFF grade for his performance during the 2025 NFL season, which placed him 14th out of 43 qualified quarterbacks. His 75.0 passing grade matched that same ranking at the position.
Across 289 dropbacks, Cousins totaled 1,721 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also logged nine big-time throws compared to five turnover-worthy plays.
What Kyler Murray Must Do to Win Vikings Starting Job
As for the Vikings, they’ll be having a QB competition to determine their starter for Week 1. Former Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is the favorite to win the job, and former NFL edge rusher Chris Long shared what Murray needs to improve once the battle begins to ensure the former No. 1 pick comes out on top.
“When I watch him play, and I watch every single snap of him throwing the ball last year, and as you know, I watch a ton of games, he doesn’t see the field that well late in downs,” Long said on the March 25 edition of “Green Light with Chris Long.”
“That’s one of the things he needs to improve. Listen, I love the mobility he brings to the table, but he has to be better at seeing the field late in downs. If you’re just relying on your vision, it hasn’t been great so far. I don’t think it’s all 5-foot-10. I think it’s just how certain people see the field.”
Could Carson Wentz Win Minnesota’s Starting Job?
Another QB vying for the Vikings’ starting job is Carson Wentz. After re-signing Wentz, who played a few games in 2025 before suffering his season-ending shoulder injury, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber put out his QB depth chart for the team on March 19. To the surprise of many, he had Wentz at the top over Murray and McCarthy.
Nonetheless, he did catch flack for it, but during his appearance on KFAN on March 23, Leber doubled down on this stance, noting that the Vikings’ offense would look better with Wentz. However, Leber noted that he expects Murray to be the starter in Week 1.
“Carson, to me, barring any sort of injury, and I think that we all were sort of wowed by his three weeks coming into this team and then having to take over the team and, like, ‘Damn, this guy can actually kind of sling it.’” Leber said. “He can actually play. Our offense is actually kind of efficient. [The Vikings were] moving the ball. We’re much more explosive. We’re getting the ball down the field.
“The whole offense is opened up. We don’t have to negate middle-of-the-field throws because J.J. McCarthy can’t make those. We can use the whole field with Carson Wentz. So, as of today, mid-March, I think Carson Wentz is a better fit for this offense. Do I think Kyler Murray is going to win out? Yes. Yes, I do think that on opening day it’s going to be Kyler Murray.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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