The Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback trade board just got a little more cramped, and that’s not exactly great news for fans hoping the team makes a splash before the deadline.
After one loss, some in the fan base were already ready to move on and start hunting for a new QB1, with Kyler Murray suddenly getting treated like a short-term answer rather than the long-term fix. The wish list has been a familiar one: Justin Herbert, Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, and a few other names that have been floating around as possible upgrades.
One option that had come up because of his past with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was Jacoby Brissett. But that possibility appears to be off the table now.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Wednesday, the Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a trade that is expected to send Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens sometime this upcoming weekend.
Baltimore needed help in a hurry. Tyler Huntley is out for the season with a turf toe injury, and Lamar Jackson could also be finished for the rest of the 2026 campaign after suffering a thumb injury this past Sunday that needs surgery. The Ravens are 4-4 through eight weeks, and Brissett is now in line to either help push them toward the playoffs or at least keep the ship steady until Jackson can return.
For Minnesota, that leaves an already thin market looking even thinner.
Herbert, Cousins, and Jones remain the biggest names fans would probably be most interested in seeing the Vikings pursue. Other possibilities mentioned include Geno Smith of the New York Jets and Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers.
Even with those names still out there, the pool is small. What Nolan Teasley has to sort out in his first trade deadline as Minnesota’s general manager is whether it makes sense to spend future draft capital on a quarterback who likely isn’t the missing piece to a Super Bowl run this season.
That answer looks pretty clear from here, even if plenty of Vikings fans won’t like it.
In Other News...
Vikings Just Sent A Clear Trade Deadline Signal To Fans
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Vikings created some breathing room on their roster by moving on from a pair of depth pieces and leaving themselves a little more flexibility for whatever comes next. Minnesota waived guard Trevor Keegan and released tight end Bryson Nesbit from the practice squad, a pair of transactions that opened spots as the team continues to sort through its options.
General manager Nolan Teasley has not added anyone yet, but the timing is hard to miss with Minnesota preparing for a matchup against the Buffalo Bills and still evaluating the depth chart. Even if no deal follows right away, the roster maneuvering suggests the Vikings are keeping the door open for a deadline move if the right opportunity presents itself. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Have A Jake Golday Decision They Can't Ignore
The Vikings run defense has hit a rough patch at exactly the wrong time, giving up 384 rushing yards over the last two games while the missed tackles have piled up. With more physical rushing attacks on the schedule, the issue is no longer just about scheme or effort. It is becoming a personnel question, and that has put rookie linebacker Jake Golday into the conversation as a possible way to steady things.
Golday has barely been used on defense this season, but he has earned trust on special teams and has shown the kind of tackling reliability Minnesota could use more of right now. The Vikings do not need to overhaul everything to get better against the run, but they do need to find answers quickly, and giving Golday a larger defensive role is the kind of adjustment that could make sense before the next wave of tough opponents arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Have A Kirk Cousins Decision Fans Cant Ignore
Kirk Cousins has already become part of the conversation in Las Vegas this season, not just because of what he can still do on the field, but because of the role he is playing behind the scenes. The veteran quarterback is mentoring Fernando Mendoza for the Raiders, and after the team finally got back in the win column against the Jets, his presence has only looked more valuable to a club trying to steady itself during the 2026 season.
For Minnesota fans, the timing is hard to miss. A Vikings loss has reopened the quarterback chatter around the league, with Kyler Murray's future drawing speculation and Cousins naturally surfacing as a name to watch, but the Raiders do not appear eager to make that kind of move. The bigger question now is whether Las Vegas would even consider disrupting a locker room that is leaning on Cousins in more ways than one. [Read more 🡒]