It’s a full-circle moment for quarterback Kirk Cousins, as the veteran is being traded back to one of his former teams, the Minnesota Vikings.
On Tuesday, amid the trade deadline madness, Tom Pelissero of The Ringer revealed that the Vikings are sending the Raiders a third-round pick to take Cousins. The move reunites Minnesota with its former quarterback, with the goal of strengthening the offense and getting to the big game.
“Blockbuster! The Raiders are trading four-time Pro Bowl QB Kirk Cousins to the Vikings for their 2027 third-round pick, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports,” Pelissero reported.
Fernando Mendoza will take over as Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback
Very quickly, the question arose about whether the Raiders would now make rookie Fernando Mendoza their starting quarterback. As it turns out, yes, the Heisman Trophy winner will receive that role, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Raiders No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will now take over as the starting QB following Kirk Cousins’ trade to Minnesota,” Schefter wrote on X. “Las Vegas is 4-5, and Mendoza’s first two career starts will come against the Seahawks and Broncos, two of the NFL’s top defenses.”
The Vikings could’ve explored other options, but bringing Cousins back to a place where he already knows the organization seems like the smartest move they could’ve made. There’s no need to gamble on an unfamiliar quarterback when Cousins already has a history with the franchise.
The cost of the deal shouldn’t be much of a concern, either. Parting with a 2027 third-round pick is a reasonable price if the Vikings believe Cousins can give their offense the jump-start it desperately needs. While the team’s defense has been strong all season, the offense has repeatedly struggled.
Cousins will now have a chance to reclaim his spot in Minnesota, stepping in ahead of Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz on the quarterback depth chart. His familiarity with the team should also make the transition a lot easier than bringing in someone completely new.
This is certainly one of the biggest moves of the NFL trade deadline. Quarterback changes in the middle of a season don’t always produce the desired results, so there’s no guarantee Cousins will be able to turn Minnesota’s fortunes around. But the Vikings couldn’t afford to keep the current situation they had in the signal-caller position.
