Kirk Cousins' Trade to Vikings From Raiders Detailed in New NFL Rumors After Deadline Day Deal

Before pulling the string on a trade for Kirk Cousins on Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings initially engaged in talks with the Las Vegas Raiders about the veteran quarterback last week.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, the Vikings "checked in" with the Raiders last week in an attempt to see what it might take to acquire Cousins if they decided to go that route.

However, according to Graziano, Minnesota "didn't get the sense" that Cousins was available prior to Sunday and the trade "only really came together" when it did due to the deadline otherwise the Vikings would have been out of luck.

"Had the deadline been two weeks from now, the Vikings might have decided to roll with their initial plan a while longer, especially if Murray is going to be healthy enough to play in the next week or so," Graziano wrote. "But if they didn't do a deal Tuesday, they weren't going to have a chance to fix their problem for the rest of the season.'

Per The Ringer's Tom Pelissero, the Vikings were "quietly" doing homework on potentially available quarterbacks in recent weeks but it wasn't until Murray's hamstring injury and Wentz's historically bad performance increased the urgency.

Pelissero added Cousins helped push the trade through by telling Raiders general manager John Spytek on Tuesday afternoon he wanted to rejoin Minnesota after previously playing for the team from 2018 to '23:

"With the trade compensation already in place, Cousins talked to his family, his longtime agent Mike McCartney, and Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, whose offense he operated at a higher and more consistent level than any Vikings QB has since he left after the 2023 season. By midday Tuesday, Cousins had made up his mind and informed Raiders GM John Spytek: He wanted to go back to Minnesota, rejoin a team that's ready to make a playoff push, and potentially rewrite his complicated legacy at age 38.

"'So much respect for John Spytek and the Raiders organization,' McCartney told Pelissero Tuesday night of how the team handled the situation. "There aren't many leaders in this league who would've done that. Very appreciative of Spy."

It could reasonably be argued even if Murray was healthy or Wentz was adequate against Buffalo that the Vikings still should have pursued Cousins.

Of the 31 quarterbacks who have attempted at least 140 passes this season, Murray ranks 27th in success rate and QBR. He is 26th out of 35 quarterbacks with at least 100 snaps in EPA per play.

Minnesota's defense has shouldered a heavy burden for the team this season, and it has led to incredible success with a 6-2 record. Monday night saw the toll that an ineffective offense takes because the defense was on the field for nearly 43 minutes against Buffalo.

Even if that game represents an extreme outlier, the Vikings can't afford to take the risk of it happening because their margin of error is so slim due to how strong the NFC North is.

The Vikings sent a 2027 third-round pick to the Raiders for Cousins. He is returning to Minnesota in the midst of one of his best seasons. The 38-year-old threw for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and a 64.1 completion percentage in nine starts with Vegas.

By comparison, Minnesota has used three quarterbacks in games this season. The group has combined to throw for 1,286 yards, eight touchdowns and a 60.9 completion percentage.

Cousins' familiarity with head coach Kevin O'Connell's system from their two years together in 2022 and 2023 should make for a smooth transition with him taking over the offense.

Even after Monday's loss, the Vikings still lead the NFL in points allowed per game. They are adding Cousins at the perfect time because their schedule for the next two weeks is road games against the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.