The offseason comes with wild speculation, and with the Minnesota Vikings looking for a QB, there will be rumors linking the team to any rumors. A few weeks ago, speculation over Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow emerged.
This entire rumor began on Jan. 22 when On SI’s Grant Cohn, a beat reporter covering the San Francisco 49ers, was debunking any speculation of the Niners trading for Justin Jefferson. However, in that same video, he mentioned that the Vikings are willing to make a huge trade offer for Burrow.
“[The Vikings] want to get right back into contention,” Cohn said in a video posted on X. “They’re planning to offer J.J. McCarthy and Jonathan Greenard, and two first‑round picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for Joe Burrow. If the Bengals say no, then they might go out and get Kirk Cousins, bring him back.”
While pursuing Burrow might be pie in the sky for the Vikings, Alec Lewis of The Athletic did state that if any top-tier QB should be available this offseason, he expects Minnesota to be in the mix.
“If a player like Joe Burrow is available via trade, I expect the Vikings to do everything they possibly can to try to make that happen,” Lewis said on the Feb. 2 edition of The Alec Lewis Show. “It’s more a question of what is available and and how far of from a cost perspective it’s going to take to get to the place at which [the player] does become available.”
Kyler Murray Floated as QB Solution for Vikings
Despite all the speculation, On SI’s Bengals beat reporter, James Rapien, gave a blunt take on the entire situation.
“I’m more likely to play for the Vikings in 2026 than Joe Burrow,” Rapien wrote on X on Jan. 23. “Thanks and have a goodnight!”
Although Burrow might be out of the question, there’s another former No. 1 overall pick that could be available for the Vikings. On Feb. 2, former NFL player Domonique Foxworth stated that if the Arizona Cardinals cut Kyler Murray, Minnesota should be a landing spot for him.
“I still think he’s incredibly talented,” Foxworth said during an appearance on “Get Up.” “Of course, he’s uniquely built to play quarterback, which isn’t always good, but I think he’s a guy that, in the right situation, could help out a lot.
“I really like the Vikings as a spot where they could get someone like Kyler Murray to take some of the pressure off of him. I don’t think that the Cardinals have been a particularly well-run organization. And that’s not to take responsibility away from Kyler.”
Kyle Murray Could Benefit From Minnesota Move
Moreover, while the Cardinals have their issues, Foxworth notes that Murray’s cut would be a wakeup call for the QB. As a result, the Vikings could benefit from this move as the player looks to salvage his career as a starting signal-caller.
“I think some of this has to do with him maturing as a player, which I think he will, “ Foxworth added. “And finding a new team, sometimes it’s a wakeup call that players need to kind of fulfill their potential. So, I think Kyler Murray’s career is far from over, given his athleticism and arm strength. It’s just, we just hope that he ends up in the right spot so he can fulfill his potential.”
Vikings Insider Doesn’t Hold Back Amid Joe Burrow Speculation