The Minnesota Vikings made a move for Kirk Cousins, sending a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders just before the 4 pm ET trade deadline on Nov. 10.
Carson Wentz’s showing against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9 and Kyler Murray’s continued struggles to get the offense going only added to the urgency. Minnesota needed a change at quarterback, and the front office ultimately turned to a familiar face by bringing Cousins back.
Nonetheless, for now, Murray is dealing with a hamstring injury, and Cousins will be QB1 heading into the Week 10 game against the Green Bay Packers. If Cousins performs as he has with the Raiders, he’ll be the starter going forward, and that would mean Murray will be QB2 once he’s healthy.
Still, sports media personality Skip Bayless noted his confusion as to why the Vikings gave up on Murray and traded for Cousins, as he sees the former Arizona Cardinals star as the better player.
“I think the Vikings’ ceiling would have been higher with Kyler Murray because he’s been playing pretty well over the last three games,” Bayless said in a Nov. 10 video on X. “In Detroit, he led an 84-yard drive in seven plays in the middle of the fourth quarter and hit T.J. Hockenson with the go-ahead touchdown pass to make it 15-12. The Vikings couldn’t tackle Jahmyr Gibbs.
“I still say the ceiling is a little higher with Kyler Murray… I don’t know why they gave up so quickly on Kyler for Kirk Cousins. He’ll play pretty well, but I do think they’ll make the playoffs. When it’s playoff time, he will come up smaller than Kyler Murray.”
Skip Bayless Not Against Vikings Trading for Kirk Cousins
While Bayless would prefer that the Vikings go with Murray over Cousins, the former ESPN and FOX Sports personality did note that he doesn’t hate the trade for the veteran signal-caller.
“Kirk Cousins, I don’t hate the move only because he’s been there and done that,” Bayless added. “In 2022, he was a Pro Bowl player. Justin Jefferson had his best year. That was four years ago. Kirk’s 38 now, and he’s obviously better than Carson Wentz.”
How Kirk Cousins Trade Played Out on Deadline Day
Moreover, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared how the Cousins trade played out in the final hours for the Vikings leading up to the 4 pm ET trade deadline.
“I think they had a list of quarterbacks this morning,” Schefter said during a Nov. 10 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “They went through it and spoke to various franchises, and it feels like the Colts have been very reluctant to deal players. They seem a little gun-shy after some of the criticism they received over Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. Daniel Jones never seemed to gain much traction.
“Kirk Cousins appeared to be the quarterback they were focused on. They checked in on other quarterbacks, but as the day went on, you could tell the Kirk Cousins situation was gaining steam and that a deal was likely to happen. And it has happened for a 2027 third-round draft pick. Kirk Cousins goes back to Minnesota.”
Vikings Get Strong Kyler Murray Take After Kirk Cousins Trade