The Minnesota Vikings spent the trade deadline scrambling for a fix at quarterback, and the move they made only sharpened the sting of what they gave away earlier in the year.
With Carson Wentz struggling badly in Monday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Vikings turned back to a familiar name: Kirk Cousins. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday, just hours before the deadline, that Cousins had become the Vikings’ “prime trade candidate.” The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero then reported the deal was completed, with Minnesota sending a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to bring Cousins back.
That reunion lands with real irony attached. The Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell moved on from Cousins after the 2023 season, letting him leave for the Atlanta Falcons.
Their plan was to draft and develop a young quarterback, then lean on a bridge option while that player got ready. They used the 10th overall pick on J.J.
McCarthy and brought in Sam Darnold on a one-year deal to hold the job. When McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, Darnold took over and helped push the Vikings to 14 wins and a playoff berth.
After that, Minnesota let Darnold walk to the Seattle Seahawks and stayed committed to McCarthy.
That commitment didn’t last long. McCarthy, who admittedly did not look great when he started games last season, had already fallen out of favor with O’Connell and was effectively pushed to third string. The Vikings even brought in Kyler Murray, believing he could revitalize his career in Minnesota, while McCarthy was sidelined in the pecking order.
Meanwhile, the Giants made the move that now looks like a steal. New York was desperate for quarterback depth after Jaxson Dart was ruled out for the season with a knee injury suffered in the second game, so the Giants called Minnesota and landed McCarthy for a fifth-round draft pick. Since then, McCarthy has gone 2-0 as the Giants’ starting quarterback.
He has shown enough in that short stretch to make Minnesota’s decision look worse by the week. In Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints, McCarthy threw for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception while helping fuel a late comeback attempt. Then in Week 7, he completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards and added a rushing touchdown in the Giants’ 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans.
For Minnesota, the contrast is brutal. The Vikings entered the deadline undefeated, then dropped back-to-back games to the Detroit Lions and Bills.
The Bills game in particular laid bare how badly they needed a new answer under center. Now they’ve spent draft capital to reunite with Cousins, while the Giants are sitting on the quarterback they got after Minnesota decided to move on.
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