The Minnesota Vikings are heading toward the trade deadline with a quarterback problem that can’t be ignored, and Monday night only made it louder.
Carson Wentz’s rough outing against the Buffalo Bills was bad enough to put the position front and center again, and the latest reporting suggests Minnesota is at least preparing to explore outside help before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said during the Monday Night Football broadcast, “I know the Minnesota Vikings are going to explore their options (at quarterback),” and he pointed to two names that fit the bill: Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones.
Rapoport said the Vikings “have two pretty good options,” explaining that Cousins is familiar territory because of his past with Minnesota and Kevin O’Connell. At the same time, he noted that the Raiders have “shown no indication that they would trade him,” though Minnesota could still check in.
Jones is the other name in the mix, and Rapoport tied him to the Vikings’ past as well, noting that he was in their building a couple of years ago on the practice squad. He also pointed to the Colts’ season going in the wrong direction and said both quarterbacks could come at a price that “wouldn’t kill the Vikings.” His expectation: “I would expect them to at least look into it tomorrow.”
The catch is that neither option looks simple.
The Raiders appear inclined to keep Cousins, and that makes sense with Las Vegas still alive in the playoff picture. Jones may look like the cleaner path, especially with the Colts seemingly headed for a sell-off, but that route may already be blocked too. The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reported over the weekend that Indianapolis told Jones he won’t be moved.
“The Colts informed QB Daniel Jones on Saturday they’re not trading him by Tuesday’s deadline,” Pelissero wrote.
Even so, the market can change fast this time of year. If Minnesota decides it needs to force the issue, Rapoport suggested the Vikings could still try to make something happen with either quarterback by paying more than expected.
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