The Minnesota Vikings are reportedly bringing back a familiar face at quarterback, acquiring Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders just as the team's once-promising season threatens to come apart at the seams. The move comes less than 24 hours after Carson Wentz completed just 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards and threw two interceptions in a 23-6 home loss to the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota's second straight defeat after opening the year 6-0.
According to USA Today, the Vikings are acquiring the veteran quarterback from Las Vegas ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline, with Minnesota sending the Raiders a 2027 third-round pick to complete the deal. The report capped a fast-moving day that began with word from Adam Schefter of ESPN, relayed by NBC Sports, that the Vikings had identified Cousins as a prime trade candidate before the deadline.
The urgency traces directly back to Monday night, when Minnesota's offense sputtered badly against Buffalo. Wentz started the game in place of Kyler Murray, who missed the contest with a hamstring injury, and the results were ugly from the start. As The Athletic put it, the Vikings' offense lacks rhythm in all facets — a diagnosis reflected in the numbers, since the team has managed only 1,286 passing yards through eight games and failed to score a touchdown in three of them, per the same outlet's follow-up report.
Cousins Returns to the Team That Made Him a Star
Cousins is no stranger to Minnesota. He played for the Vikings from 2018 through 2023 before signing with Las Vegas this offseason to compete with first overall pick Fernando Mendoza. This season, across nine starts for the Raiders, he completed 64.1% of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, the numbers USA Today cited in detailing the trade. Las Vegas enters the deal having lost five of its last six games and sitting at 4-5 on the year.
The Vikings, by contrast, remain 6-2 and still boast what has been described as a championship-caliber defense — the glaring hole has simply been a reliable starting quarterback. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who caught three passes for 58 yards against Buffalo, told reporters he wasn't sure whether the team needed to make a quarterback trade, saying that decision belonged to general manager Nolan Teasley and coach Kevin O'Connell. Jefferson added that he would keep getting open and leading the team regardless, and said he hoped things would change the following week.
Other Names Floated Before the Trade
Before Cousins emerged as the target, other names circulated in trade speculation. Daniel Jones, who spent time with the Vikings after the Giants released him in 2024, was floated as a possible fit, but the Indianapolis Colts told NFL Network they would not trade him. San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones was also mentioned as a possibility. Neither materialized into a deal, and reporting has indicated Cousins is not viewed as a long-term option for Minnesota, suggesting the move is aimed squarely at stabilizing the offense down the stretch.
A separate quarterback trade elsewhere in the league underscored how active the deadline period became across the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals sent Jacoby Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens, with Baltimore giving up a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-rounder while receiving a 2027 fifth-round selection back, according to NFL.com. Arizona also paid more than half of Brissett's remaining 2026 salary as part of that swap, the outlet reported.
A Crucial Test Looms at Lambeau
Whatever Cousins brings to the huddle, he won't have much time to get comfortable. The Vikings are set to face the Green Bay Packers, who sit at 6-3, at Lambeau Field on Nov. 15 in a game with major NFC North and playoff implications. The rest of the division has remained competitive all season, with NFC North teams holding records above .500 as of this week.
Both the New York Post and NBC Sports described the trade deadline as Tuesday at 4 p.m., with NBC specifying Eastern Time. Either way, Minnesota moved fast once Wentz's performance against Buffalo made the need for a change impossible to ignore.
