Vikings Bring Back Kirk Cousins in Win-Win Trade With Raiders

The Minnesota Vikings have fixed their need at QB with an old friend, as they have reconnected with Kirk Cousins.

The Vikings have dealt a third-round pick to the Raiders, opening up the starting role for first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

There won’t be a more win-win move on deadline day this year.

Cousins had a bit of a career revitalization with the Raiders averaging 260 yards a game, with 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions on the season.

Any move was necessary for the Vikings as their gamble on Kyler Murray was not paying off. If everything goes as planned, Cousins could be in line to make his first start this Sunday against the Packers in Lambeau, the last place he started in his first stint in Minnesota.

It’s a great situation for Cousins to walk into, as the Vikings are very steady on the offensive line and have elite targets in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson. The Vikings looked like they were a quarterback away from contending in a loaded NFC North, and the guy they wrote off in 2023 is now the guy hoping to lead them on a title run in 2026.

The more interesting side of this deal comes with the Raiders. Vegas slow-played their first overall pick with how solid Cousins had been playing in his starting role. With the Raiders cooling off after a fast 3-0 start, it felt like the perfect time to give Mendoza some run.

Going into this year, it felt like a disaster for any starting quarterback, but Cousins showed the Raiders might be further along in their rebuild than they thought. The defense certainly has some holes they need filled; there really isn’t a number one receiver on this team, and the offensive line hasn’t done this run game any favors, but there is enough talent to get a fair assessment of Mendoza.

Having an elite tight end makes life a lot easier for any quarterback, and Mendoza will have that in Brock Bowers. Since returning from injury, Bowers has had 8+ targets and 70 yards in every game he’s played. You’ll expect a lot more of that from Mendoza in his first start this week.

Unfortunately for Mendoza, there won’t be any easing into the competition he’s facing. The Raiders face what might be the two best defenses in football—the Seahawks and Broncos—before traveling to Cleveland to face a Browns defense that has looked much tougher at home. If he can shine in those three games, the future will look incredibly bright as the Raiders look to build around their top draft pick.