Vikings Reacquire Kirk Cousins from Raiders

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly brought quarterback Kirk Cousins back onto their roster in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings are making the move to strengthen their offensive line. As part of the agreement, the Raiders will receive a 2027 third-round pick. With this transfer, 2026 first overall pick Carlos Mendoza will be the starting quarterback for the Raiders.

Cousins spent six seasons with the Vikings between 2018 and 2023. In 2024, he joined the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent. After his departure, the Vikings struggled to find a suitable quarterback, and eight different quarterbacks started games during that stretch. In April, the Vikings received an extra third-round pick from Philadelphia in a trade for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.

The agreement came shortly after a poor performance by Carson Wentz. With starting quarterback Kyler Murray unavailable due to a hamstring injury, Wentz delivered the worst performance by a quarterback in franchise history since 2006. Wentz completed 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards, threw two interceptions and lost one fumble. Playing with an ankle injury, Wentz was replaced by Max Brosmer in the middle of the fourth quarter. The Vikings lost 23-6 and entered a rough stretch in a season that had started 6-2.

Cousins played a key role in the Vikings winning 13 games in 2022, the first year under coach Kevin O'Connell. He continued to perform well in 2023, but in Week 8, during a road game at Green Bay, he tore his Achilles tendon. The Vikings are making this major move to get the season back on track, relying on their strong defense and the talented offensive players around the quarterback position.