The Minnesota Vikings made a huge move to acquire Kirk Cousins on Tuesday ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
They traded a 2027 third-round selection to Las Vegas for his services, and he’ll step in and immediately fortify their most glaring weakness over the first half of the season.
Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley confirmed the front office “cast a wide net” in their approach to the trade deadline. They were rumored to be interested in a few quarterbacks before landing on Cousins, including Justin Herbert, Geno Smith, and Daniel Jones. However, Teasley also confirmed that net wasn’t limited to the quarterback position.
“We were active up until [the 4 PM EST trade deadline], but it was ultimately the one where market met value, and everything made sense,” Teasley told reporters on Wednesday.
Which Other Players Might The Vikings Have Been Interested In?
Minnesota was a popular landing spot for running back Jonathan Taylor. While much of the blame for their offensive struggles has fallen on the quarterback position, they also haven’t enjoyed much success on the ground.
Neither Aaron Jones Sr. nor Jordan Mason have been bad, per se. They’re both averaging just over four yards per attempt and have held their own. They just haven’t been explosive, and Minnesota’s offense feels like it’s been stuck in second gear as a result.
Taylor would’ve been an offensive elevator, but the Colts ultimately decided to hold onto him after not being swayed by any offers (they reportedly turned down multiple offers that included second-round picks).
Meanwhile, the Vikings were also rumored to be interested in potentially adding a defensive tackle to help shore up their run defense. They’ve allowed nearly 120 rushing yards per game, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirmed they were among the teams navigating the DT market.
“The defensive tackle market has been hot, with big names DeForest Buckner and Jeffery Simmons already moved—to the 49ers and Bears, respectively—and teams like the Giants, Jaguars and Vikings still turning over rocks looking for help,” Breer wrote.
The Vikings Made The One Trade That Mattered Most
To Minnesota’s credit, they didn’t sit on their hands. Like everyone, they knew they needed to make a change at quarterback. They did that relatively cheaply (at least compared to the Raiders’ initial asking price).
Many believe the Vikings were a quarterback away from being a true contender this season, and Cousins was the most logical fit out of all their available options. He played one year under Kevin O’Connell and spent six years in Minnesota, four of which were spent building a rapport with Justin Jefferson.
It’ll be interesting to see what they do at quarterback in the offseason (since Cousins is playing out a one-year deal), but that’s a problem for March. Right now, they’re focused on somehow getting to February. In the interim, they helped improve their odds of achieving that goal.
Vikings GM Confirms They Were Considering Other Moves Ahead Of Trade Deadline