The Minnesota Vikings are heading into Sunday’s game against the Packers with Kirk Cousins back under center, but their quarterback search took them down a different road before they made that move.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Minnesota also checked in with the San Francisco 49ers about backup quarterback Mac Jones before settling on Cousins. The response from 49ers general manager John Lynch made it clear the price was steep: “it would take a second-round pick and more for Jones.”
Schefter and Rapoport added, “Perhaps a second-rounder and a middle-round pick might have gotten a trade done.”
That asking price was more than the Vikings were willing to pay. Instead, they sent their third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Cousins, a deal that reportedly surprised Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who thought Minnesota had landed a bargain.
The Jones inquiry wasn’t the only one. Earlier this week, it was reported that the Vikings also reached out to the Indianapolis Colts about Daniel Jones and the Los Angeles Chargers about Justin Herbert before completing the Cousins trade.
Minnesota still has the Philadelphia Eagles’ third-round pick from the Jonathan Greenard trade earlier in the offseason, and that selection is expected to be higher than the one the Vikings moved to Las Vegas.
With the 2027 NFL Draft set to be GM Nolan Teasley’s first in charge, the Vikings may be keeping their draft assets as flexible as possible in case they decide to target a rookie quarterback, or move up for one.
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The final minute was the part that will linger. McCarthy made several costly mistakes when Washington came after him, and the interception that ended the game was the clearest example of how quickly the situation unraveled once the rush got home. For a Vikings fan base watching closely, it was another reminder that talent is only part of the equation for a young quarterback, and that handling pressure in the biggest moments still has to be proven. [Read more 🡒]
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Vikings Suddenly Have A Bigger Problem Than This Loss
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Carson Wentzs rough afternoon only sharpened the concern, as the quarterback finished with an 8.9 passer rating and the Vikings went without a touchdown for the third time this season. After a second straight defeat, the immediate question is no longer just how Minnesota bounces back from one loss, but how it fixes an offense that suddenly looks far more fragile than the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]