On the heels of Carson Wentz’s disastrous performance in a loss to the Bills on Monday night, the Vikings entered trade deadline day in desperate need of a legitimate starting quarterback. They found one in old friend Kirk Cousins, whom they reunited with in a trade with the Raiders.
Cousins, previously the Vikings’ starter from 2018-23, is returning to Minnesota to take the helm of a 6-2 team. An all-world defense has done its best to offset Minnesota’s inept offense, which has received poor results from Wentz and the now-injured Kyler Murray. The 38-year-old Cousins, who had a resurgence in Las Vegas after he underwhelmed in Atlanta, should provide a clear upgrade and make the Vikings a more well-rounded team.
The Vikings gave up a 2027 third-round pick for Cousins around an hour and a half before Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CT deadline, but he wasn’t the only veteran signal-caller on their radar. Before the Cousins trade came together, the Vikings inquired about the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, the Colts’ Daniel Jones and the Jets’ Geno Smith, multiple sources told insider Jordan Schultz.
Although Herbert has experienced a shocking drop-off during a winless, turnover-filled seventh NFL season, the Chargers “shut down all inquiries,” Schultz writes. Even if the Chargers were willing to move Herbert, the 28-year-old’s no-trade clause means he would have had to approve it. There is nothing to suggest Herbert wants out of Los Angeles, where he is under contract through 2029, and a mid-October report indicated the team has no plans to part with him.
It’s not a surprise that the Vikings checked in on Jones, whom they’re familiar with from his short stint with the team two seasons ago. After the Giants waived Jones in November 2024, he caught on with the Vikings’ practice squad in January 2025. Jones joined the Colts on a one-year, $14MM deal in free agency two months later, but the Vikings reportedly outbid them. He saw a more realistic chance to start in Indianapolis, and after beating out Anthony Richardson for the job, Jones was among the league’s most effective QBs in the first half of 2025. A fibula injury slowed him for a few weeks, though, and then he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in early December.
Unfazed by Jones’ Achilles, the Colts brought him back on a two-year, $88MM contract last offseason. Unfortunately for them, Jones has reverted to the form he showed at the end of his tenure with the Giants. The struggling Jones nonetheless garnered trade interest before the deadline, but the 2-7 Colts opted to keep him.
Smith, whom Cousins succeeded as the Raiders’ starter this year, rejoined the Jets in a late-round pick swap last March. While Smith struggled with the Jets from 2013-16 and had a rough year in Las Vegas in 2025, he has played far better this season.
The Jets have gone 2-7 despite Smith’s respectable performance, which could have made him a trade candidate. However, they didn’t want to give up Smith because of his importance to the team, Schultz relays. Trading Smith would have forced the Jets to plug in rookie fourth-rounder Cade Klubnik, which probably wouldn’t have done their bevy of young skill-position players any favors.
Armed with three first-round picks in the 2027 draft, the Jets could find a long-term starting quarterback in April. In the meantime, they will continue to roll with Smith. The 36-year-old is scheduled to become a free agent in the offseason.
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