Let the Kirk Cousins + Vikings Trade Rumors Commence!

The Minnesota Vikings play a football game in less than 36 hours. If that feels soon, it’s because it was just a few sleeps ago that the Vikings got their butts kicked by the Philadelphia Eagles in front of 75,000 people at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Fresh off that loss, head coach Kevin O’Connell and his team now turn their GPS due West for a Thursday Night Football game in Inglewood, CA against the Los Angeles Chargers, to kick off week 8 across the entire NFL.

On Tuesday, KOC announced that Carson Wentz will once again start under center for Minnesota, as we continue to wait on the return of JJ McCarthy, whenever that will be. Meanwhile, with the NFL trade deadline approaching (Nov. 4), there are a few national NFL insiders who are starting to read tea leaves around the league.

Yesterday, it was Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) who first connected the MN Vikings back to their former QB1, Kirk Cousins, who is currently trying to work through his second season as the backup in Atlanta.

If Wentz isn’t capable of leading a playoff team and O’Connell doesn’t believe McCarthy is ready… then it’s NOT impossible that we see No. 8 back in purple yet again.

Another NFL insider floats Kirk Cousins to Minnesota Vikings

Wednesday, it was Jeremy Fowler’s (ESPN) turn to spin the Cousins’ rumor wheel. In a trade deadline primer posted early this morning, Fowler pinned Kirk’s chances of being traded at 20% and put the most likely landing spot as the Minnesota Vikings.

The buzz: Cousins would need injuries at the quarterback position to spark a market. He is 37, and he struggled with interceptions last season (16), but Cousins could help a team in a bind…[as his] $10 million guarantee in 2026 is a hurdle [in negotiations].

Carson Wentz’s Week 7 struggles with the Vikings make a Cousins reunion in Minneapolis a convenient talking point for fans and media, even with J.J. McCarthy soon returning from an ankle injury. — Jeremy Fowler

The tape: At this stage of his career, Cousins is viewed as a No. 2 who fits best in a system with play-action elements. This allows Cousins to throw with rhythm on defined concepts. Cousins has a career play-action QBR of 73.6. — Matt Bowen

Predicted chance of getting traded: 20%
Team fits: Minnesota Vikings

ESPN.com

At first glance, many Minnesota Vikings fans will see this as a pie in the sky situation. After all, if O’Connell wanted Kirk Cousins back, he’d still be here, right? Well, time changes a lot of things.

Does trading for Cousins make any sense?

If the Vikings see themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, should they get average to above average QB play, then it’s at least worth looking into. But first, they must decide whether or not JJ McCarthy can be that guy. If they decide he isn’t ready for that role yet, then a move to bring in Cousins suddenly makes a TON of sense.

Worried about money? Don’t be. The MN Vikings currently have $16.7 million in cap space to play with. Maybe the Falcons retain a small chunk, but by then, half of Kirk’s 2025 salary will already be paid.

Maybe you have to move the numbers around on Brian O’Neill’s contract, or possibly Justin Jefferson’s. Either way, fitting Cousins into the financial picture this year wouldn’t be all that difficult.

Related: Vikings Second Week 8 Injury Report Brings Same Line Concerns

His $57.5 million cap hit next season (or $35M cap penalty to cut him) is another question, entirely. But how badly do the Vikings want to win? Because Kirk would come in and immediately look head/shoulders better than anything we have seen from either McCarthy or Wentz so far this season.

But again, unless you see yourself as a true playoff/Super Bowl contender, you do not make a move like this. In other words, we will find out what kind of team the Minnesota Vikings believe they are, and their confidence in JJ McCarthy, over the next few weeks.