With the Nov. 10 trade deadline a few days away and Kyler Murray struggling, the Minnesota Vikings are being urged to look at other QB solutions that can give them a consistent offense to complement their defense.
In the trade speculation conversation, there have been several names emerging, whether realistic or not, and one of them is a reunion with Kirk Cousins. The Las Vegas Raiders QB has shown this season that he can still produce in the NFL despite being in his late 30s.
Ahead of the trade deadline, NFL insider Tom Pelissero spoke about whether it’s realistic for Cousins and the Vikings to reunite again.
“I would say this: I expect that [the Vikings] are evaluating all potential options and seeing if there’s something else,” Pelissero said in a Nov. 5 video from The Ringer. “… If the Raiders had lost to the Jets, I think there would’ve been a real chance that the Raiders would’ve been willing to move Kirk. He lit it up in that game.
“Kirk Cousins has been a top-10 quarterback in the NFL this season by every metric, and he’s doing the Kirko Chainz thing again. Guys are rallying around him. All that, to me, says Mark Davis isn’t going to say, ‘Yeah, let’s just throw the rookie in there.’ This was the way that they set it up.”
Raiders Likely Need Big Offer to Consider Kirk Cousins Trade
With the Raiders at 4-4 and still looking to be competitive, Pelissero believes that the Vikings will need to come with an offer that’s too good for Las Vegas to turn down.
“I do think there’s still an opening, and it would make sense whether it’s the Vikings or another team,” Pelissero added. “Here’s what it comes down to: What are you willing to pay for Kirk Cousins? Are you giving up a second-round pick? Are you sending a first-round pick for Kirk Cousins? I don’t know why the Raiders would do it for less.”
In the same video, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons shared what the Vikings should be willing to pay for Cousins.
“I would do a guaranteed third-round pick, and if they make it to the second round of the playoffs, it moves to a second-round pick,” Simmons said. “That’s what I would do.”
Vikings Urged to Trade Two Key Assets for Kirk Cousins
Meanwhile, The Volume’s Colin Cowherd urged the Vikings to give up a second- and a third-round pick to the Raiders.
“Go get Kirk Cousins,” Cowherd said in a Nov. 2 video from “The Colin Cowherd Podcast.” “There’s too much talent here. You’re looking at a 0-4 stretch with Kyler Murray, who I thought was going to be better than Sam Darnold.
“I’m not saying he’s great, but you’ll win games with him, and they are. Am I off my rocker? Go give up a second- and third-round pick and go get Kirk Cousins.”
Cousins has played 329 pass snaps so far for the Raiders this season, leading to a PFF passing grade of 76.8. Moreover, the veteran QB has thrown for 2,124 passing yards and 19 touchdowns against five interceptions while recording 11 big-time throws and seven turnover-worthy plays.
Insider Gives True Thoughts on Kirk Cousins, Vikings Trade Speculation