The Minnesota Vikings‘ quarterback position is in the national media spotlight for its subpar play. Kyler Murray hasn’t been able to get the team’s offense on an upward trajectory. Moreover, the former No. 1 pick is now dealing with a hamstring injury that’s week-to-week.
As a result, Carson Wentz will take the reins of the starting job for the Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills. If Wentz performs as he did in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, then the veteran will probably take the starting role from Murray.
However, if Wentz doesn’t perform well, could the Vikings be working the phones in the final hours leading up to the trade deadline to secure a QB? One name in the trade speculation conversation is Las Vegas Raiders QB Kirk Cousins.
After the Raiders’ 38-17 loss in Week 9 to the San Francisco 49ers, Cousins was asked about his name being in trade speculation in these handful of hours leading up to the Nov. 10 deadline.
“It feels a little bit out of my hands, so I’ll just let decision-makers make decisions and react accordingly,” Cousins told reporters (h/t Vegas Sports Today). “I love it here and love the guys here.”
Insider: Raiders Plan on Keeping Kirk Cousins
Now, on Nov. 8, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter did give an update on Cousins’ future ahead of the deadline.
“As of this weekend, the Raiders had not received any trade inquiries regarding their starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, nor are they interested in dealing him, per league sources,” Schefter wrote on X. “They plan to keep sticking with him until they believe their No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is ready.”
Nonetheless, this report was before the Raiders’ loss that dropped them to 4-5 and in a game in which Cousins struggled. The veteran QB completed 22 of 32 pass attempts for 216 passing yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 58.9.
If this performance is enough for Las Vegas to make the switch at QB and go with Fernando Mendoza, then that could open the possibility for a trade involving Cousins.
Ex-Vikings Player Wants Kirk Cousins Back in Minnesota
Meanwhile, former Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr would like to see Minnesota pursue Cousins and reunite with the veteran for a second stint.
“I’ve been putting on my GM hat,” Barr said in a Nov. 5 video from the “Bent Outta Shape” podcast. “I’ve been cooking some stuff up in the lab. I think the Vikings need to trade back for Kirk Cousins. I think it’s time to get Kirk Cousins back in Minnesota purple. It’s time to get Perko back in Minnesota.
“He knows KOC’s system. When he played, [Justin Jefferson] was getting fed. Everybody was eating. The defense [and] the offense were playing at a high level. But I think we got to get Perko back in purple.”
Cousins had a passer rating of 101.2 with 23,265 yards, 171 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions in 88 games during his six seasons with the Vikings, per StatMuse. It will be interesting to see if Minnesota does pursue the veteran and if Las Vegas is open to dealing him now that they are 4-5.
Raiders’ Kirk Cousins Gets Candid Amid Vikings Trade Speculation