The Vikings are looking hard at the quarterback market, and Kirk Cousins has emerged as one of the names at the top of the list.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Minnesota has identified Raiders QB Kirk Cousins as a prime trade candidate before today’s deadline. PFT also reported the Vikings will trade for a quarterback today, with the only real question being which one they land. That report named Cousins, Colts QB Daniel Jones, Jets QB Geno Smith and 49ers QB Mac Jones as possible options.
Minnesota’s urgency makes sense based on how this season has gone. The Vikings are 6-2 after eight games, but the offense has been stuck in the mud, ranking 31st in both offensive yards and passing yards.
Minnesota QB Kyler Murray missed Week 9 with a hamstring injury, and his starts were underwhelming before that. Backup Carson Wentz also struggled badly enough that Max Brosmer finished Monday night’s game.
That kind of production puts real pressure on a team with a championship-level defense, and the Vikings have been calling around as the deadline approaches to see what’s available.
Cousins, 38, has been through plenty of contract turns in his career. Washington took him in the fourth round in 2012, and after playing out the final year of his rookie deal, he was franchised in back-to-back seasons. He later left for a three-year, $84 million deal with the Vikings.
When he was entering the final year of that contract in 2020, Cousins agreed to a two-year, $66 million extension. In 2021, he signed another one-year extension worth $35 million that was fully guaranteed.
He was again in the final year of his deal in 2023 and testing the market as an unrestricted free agent before signing with the Falcons in 2024 on a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed.
Cousins was released by Atlanta this offseason and then signed with the Raiders on a deal that pays him $20 million in 2026.
In 2026, Cousins has started nine games for Las Vegas and completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards, 7.4 YPA, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
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Vikings Pressure Is Mounting As OConnell Cant Ignore QB Problem
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With the deadline approaching, the pressure is no longer just about one bad afternoon but about whether Minnesota can afford to stand pat if it wants to keep the season from slipping further. The options floating around are still only that, options, but the bigger issue is obvious: the Vikings need a better answer under center, and OConnell is now in the middle of a decision that could shape the rest of the year. [Read more 🡒]