Kirk Cousins addressed his name being mentioned in trade speculation after the Las Vegas Raiders lost 38-17 to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, less than 48 hours before the NFL trade deadline.
The rumors are quite surprising because the Michigan native has started all nine games in a Raiders jersey, even though Las Vegas used the No. 1 overall pick on Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
Las Vegas started the season strong, going 3-0 with Cousins under center, but they quickly lost their momentum. They suffered a four-game losing streak before bouncing back to defeat the New York Jets, only to fall again on Sunday against San Francisco.
Cousins was underwhelming on Sunday. He finished the game 22-of-32 for 216 yards and one touchdown, but threw three costly interceptions. Despite the setback, he has thrown for 2,340 passing yards and 20 touchdowns this season, ranking second in the league in passing touchdowns. Following the loss, he directly addressed the ongoing trade rumors during his post-game press conference.
“It feels a little bit out of my hands,” Cousins said, “and I’ll let the decision-makers make the decisions and react accordingly. I love it here and love the guys here.”
Raiders QB Kirk Cousins on his name being mentioned in potential trade discussions ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline: “It feels a little bit out of my hands, and I’ll let the decision-makers make the decisions and react accordingly.” 🎥: @cinedirector12 #RaiderNation | #FTTB
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) November 9, 2026
The Minnesota Vikings (6-1) have driven a large part of this trade speculation due to an injury to franchise quarterback Kyler Murray. Cousins previously played six seasons in Minnesota, including two under head coach Kevin O’Connell. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Oct. 31 that while the Vikings had not seriously discussed a quarterback trade, “the most logical trade target remains Kirk Cousins.”
However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported this past Saturday that the Raiders had received no trade inquiries regarding Cousins, “nor are they interested in dealing him.” The Raiders also plan to stick with the veteran until they feel Mendoza is fully ready to take over as a solid starter.
But head coach Klint Kubiak left room for movement, previously noting that “every day the calculus changes.” Former Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr also made headlines by stating he would love to see Cousins return for a second stint in Minnesota.
Las Vegas signed the 38-year-old signal-caller to a one-year, $11.3 million contract. He will become a free agent in 2027. Meanwhile, with Kyler Murray injured, backup Carson Wentz has taken over as the starting quarterback for the Vikings.
Because Murray’s hamstring injury is a short-term, week-to-week issue, NFL experts agree he won’t be out long enough to justify a trade. So, the Vikings are highly unlikely to give up valuable draft picks for Cousins before Tuesday’s deadline.
