At first glance, watching the Minnesota Vikings trade a 2027 third-round pick for Kirk Cousins is hilarious. The quarterback carousel goes on in the Twin Cities, with so-called quarterback whisperer Kevin O'Connell failing again.
However, if we consider that Brian Flores' defense held the Chicago Bears to just three points earlier in the season, it's not so funny anymore. Cousins isn't a star by any means, but the bar is comically low in Minnesota.
The Bears are already 0-1 against the Vikings and will close out the regular season at home against them. Minnesota's defense is stellar, and they might be just average quarterback play away from being a legitimate threat.
Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota raised the stakes in Chicago
The Vikings did what they had to do. They watched Kyler Murray struggle in training camp for two months and realized that even a healthy version of him wasn't good enough. Then, after watching Carson Wentz complete passes to the dirt, they just had to do something.
Granted, Cousnis isn't a gunslinger by any means. He's a play-action guy who needs a strong running game, and his best days are clearly far behind him. Over nine games, he's completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns, and three interceptions this season.
That said, he's more than familiar with Kevin O'Connell's offense, and this might be the most stacked receiving corps he's had in Minnesota. Justin Jefferson must be ecstatic to know that he'll finally play with someone who can get him the ball. Then, there's Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and even Jauan Jennings.
Of course, the Bears have already proven that they can hold their ground against anyone, and Ben Johnson's offense has usually gotten the best of Brian Flores' defenses. Also, the rematch will be in Chicago, with Jeffery Simmons wreaking havoc in the trenches.
That said, the Vikings took the step they needed to go from pretender to contender, and that's never great news in the division. If anything, this has raised the stakes in the NFC North even more, and if the Bears couldn't afford another setback, this gives them even less of a margin for error.
The Bears have plenty of time to keep adding to their lead in the NFC North, and they're no longer the ever-struggling team Cousins was used to facing twice a year. But as much as they should only focus on what they can control, this is definitely something to keep an eye on.
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