The Minnesota Vikings have identified Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins as a prime trade candidate ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Cousins has started all nine of the Raiders' games this season with No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza as his backup. He has completed 64.1% of his pass attempts for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He played two seasons for Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota (2022-23) and was a Pro Bowl selection in '22 when he threw for 4,547 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. In 2022 he started eight games before suffering a torn Achilles in a game against the Green Bay Packers.
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson enjoyed his finest season in 2022 while playing for Cousins, setting career bests with 128 catches and 1,809 yards, which both led the NFL. He also had eight touchdown catches and led the NFL with 106.4 receiving yards per game.
Cousins left the Vikings as a free agent in 2024, signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons, however, drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 first round, causing a rift between Cousins and the organization. He ended up starting 22 games for the Falcons but was released after the 2025 season.
In Monday's 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Vikings (6-2) failed to score a touchdown for the third time this season.
Carson Wentz completed only 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards while throwing two interceptions and having a third dropped. His 2.3 QBR was the lowest for any quarterback this season and the lowest by a Vikings quarterback since Tarvaris Jackson recorded a 1.8 QBR during a game in 2006.
The Vikings also have Kyler Murray and Max Brosmer on the roster.
"We've had dialogue about a lot of different positions," coach Kevin O'Connell said after Monday's loss when asked about the possibility of making a trade for a quarterback. "Tight turnaround, obviously, playing the Monday night game, and we'll get right to work on any potential moves that can be there. But really just focused on the game tonight, which was not good enough in any way, shape or form."
The Vikings' 11 touchdowns this season are tied with the winless Los Angeles Chargers. Minnesota is the first team to have at least six wins, and at least three games without a touchdown, over its first eight games of a season since 1925.