The Minnesota Vikings salvaged their season by clinching a 19-13 victory against the Chicago Bears at Solider Field — but one win hasn’t changed the front office’s long-term outlook on the team.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported on October 17 that despite securing their second win of the season, the Vikings are still “open for business” approaching the October 31 trade deadline.
“Based on a text message I just got from an AFC front office executive, getting the sense that the Vikings are very much, even after Sunday’s win, open for business heading into the trade deadline,” Wolfson said in an appearance on SKOR North’s “Mackey and Judd” podcast.
After a 1-4 start to the season, trade speculation has run rampant involving Vikings players. A loss to the Bears, who are in contention to have the top two picks in next year’s draft, would have sparked even more speculation in the coming weeks.
Still sitting with the fourth-worst record in the league, the Vikings (2-4) trade barometer will fluctuate in the coming weeks with a tough matchup with the San Francisco 49ers (5-1) ahead.
Missing Justin Jefferson for at least three more games will hurt Minnesota’s chances which could lead the Vikings to sell off some talent to build for the future.
Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter Among Vikings Trade Chatter
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is subject to trade speculation ahead of the league deadline on October 31.
Cousins remains the A-matter topic of Vikings trade talks. National media broadcasts continue to tout Cousins to the New York Jets, and the trade pitches won’t end if the Vikings cannot stop the bleeding of a season that looked lost through the first month of the season.
Cousins does have a no-trade clause, but he can waive it, especially for the right trade suitor. The Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers (if they lose Brock Purdy to injury) and Jets are all considered potential buyers who could help Cousins raise his stock in the remainder of the 2023 season before he hits free agency again in 2024.
Danielle Hunter, like Cousins, is playing on an expiring contract this season. He staged a hold-in to secure a new contract this summer, and during that period the Vikings did field trade offers. Wolfson has maintained that the Jacksonville Jaguars were interested in Hunter this summer and could express interest again.
K.J. Osborn, Ezra Cleveland and Jordan Hicks are also quality starting-caliber players in the final year of their contracts who could be the subject of some trade calls.
The Vikings haven’t historically been sellers at the trade deadline, but this year, the circumstances could lend themselves to the new regime taking matters into its own hands and acquiring draft capital for the future.
Vikings Season Will Hinge on Next 2 Games
Whether the trade deadline becomes a fire sale could hinge on the Vikings’ results in the next two weeks.
The 49ers game is a difficult draw at this stage of the season.
But no matter the results, the Vikings’ Week 8 road matchup against the Green Bay Packers two days before the trade deadline will have a heavy swing on the rest of the season.
The NFC North does not look like the division that will send a team to the wild-card round, making a division title tantamount to making the playoffs.
With the Detroit Lions favorites to win the division, the Vikings cannot lose ground to any of the lesser teams in the division like Chicago and Green Bay if they hope to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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Vikings ‘Open for Business’ at Trade Deadline, Insider Says