Minnesota Vikings Trade for Kirk Cousins from Las Vegas Raiders

Quarterback Kirk Cousins returned to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders that cost the NFC franchise a 2027 third-round draft pick.

The deal came together just before the NFL trade deadline, as karlobag.eu reported, setting up a reunion for a player who spent six seasons in Eagan from 2018 through 2023. At 38 years old, Cousins steps back into a familiar offensive playbook under head coach Kevin O’Connell, though the current Vikings roster looks starkly different from the one he left.

Raiders trade Kirk Cousins to Vikings Minnesota gets new QB & Fernando Mendoza is QB1 — NFL on ESPN

Minnesota entered the transaction with a 6-2 record but struggled mightily on offense. The unit ranked 27th in points scored and 31st in both total yards and passing yards, according to league data. In five of their first eight games, the Vikings managed 16 points or fewer, hitting that low-water mark in three consecutive outings leading up to the trade deadline.

With J.J. McCarthy traded to the New York Giants in September 2026, the Vikings abandoned their long-term developmental quarterback plan to acquire an established veteran. Tom Pelissero of The Ringer first reported the trade details, while RDS noted that Minnesota also released wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

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During his nine starts for Las Vegas earlier in the season, Cousins completed 202 of 315 passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions with a 97.1 passer rating. The Raiders went through those contests under head coach Klint Kubiak, who previously worked as the quarterbacks coach in Minnesota.

By moving Cousins, Las Vegas cleared the path for rookie Fernando Mendoza to take over as the starting quarterback. Mendoza, the top pick in the 2026 draft out of Indiana University, made a brief appearance earlier in the season against the New England Patriots, completing six of eight passes for 48 yards.

Spytek said the young player was ready for the challenge physically and mentally, while Kubiak cautioned that the adjustment period would be gradual.

Cousins previously flourished under O’Connell in 2022, throwing for 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions as the Vikings finished 13-4. During that campaign, wide receiver Justin Jefferson posted career highs of 128 receptions and 1,809 receiving yards to lead the NFL, as RDS and Yahoo Sports documented.

The Vikings have brought QB Kirk Cousins back to Minnesota, for a third-round pick in 2027. https://t.co/S5yKM31NdW

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The veteran passer started eight games in 2023 before suffering a torn Achilles tendon against the Green Bay Packers on October 29, 2023. After playing two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons following his departure in 2024, Cousins now returns to face familiar divisional opponents.

Minnesota visits the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 15, 2026. The team announced that Cousins’s physical exam and final roster formalities must be completed before his game status is confirmed.