The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday in exchange for a 2027 third-round draft pick, a move that reshapes the NFC playoff landscape following the conclusion of the NFL trade deadline.
The deal reunites Cousins with a system he knows well, as he previously spent six seasons with the Vikings from 2018 to 2023.
The acquisition arrives as the NFL season reaches its midway point, with the Vikings holding a 6-2 record. Analytics projections from CBS Sports suggest the addition of Cousins increases the team’s expected win total to 11 games, though they remain projected to finish third in a highly competitive NFC North.
As the season transitions past the nine-week mark, the team is looking to coast into the postseason alongside the other three members of their division.
The NFC North is currently viewed as the most difficult division in the league. Projections from CBS Sports indicate that all four teams—the Lions, Bears, Vikings, and Packers—could qualify for the postseason.
If this occurs, it would be the first time in NFL history that a single division has sent all four of its teams to the playoffs, a possibility created when the league expanded its postseason field to 14 teams in 2020. Current projections suggest that the only way this outcome fails to materialize is if the Rams or Seahawks manage to reach 11 wins, a scenario that computer modeling currently views as unlikely.
The competitiveness of the division is reflected in this week’s matchups. The Vikings face the Packers, a game that could determine the Packers' postseason fate; Green Bay sits at 6-3 with a one-game lead over the Rams and Seahawks for the final playoff spot.
Jordan Love, who was sacked four times and hit 15 times by the Vikings in their Week 1 meeting, leads a Packers offense that analysts expect to be a top-level contender if he can continue to fire behind a revitalized offensive line and receive a healthy return from All-Pro defensive end Micah Parsons.
The Colts were the most active sellers at the deadline, dealing away more players than any other franchise. Despite this volume of activity, the team failed to secure more than one top-100 draft pick. Observers expressed surprise that the team chose to retain running back Jonathan Taylor and quarterback Daniel Jones rather than pursuing further trades.
History suggests that the current playoff standings are subject to change. Since the playoff field expanded to 14 teams in 2020, 84 teams have entered the postseason. As of the conclusion of Week 9, 63 of those teams—or 75%—were already in a playoff spot. Division leaders, however, maintain a lower success rate; of the 48 teams leading their divisions at the nine-week mark, only 62.5% remained in that spot by the end of the season.
In the NFC, the playoff picture currently features the 49ers, Bears, Giants, Panthers, Lions, Vikings, and Packers.
