Another eventful NFL trade deadline didn’t disappoint on the final day the league’s teams could swap players ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The most impactful move of the final week came down with little more than an hour to spare, the Las Vegas Raiders agreeing to send 38-year-old QB Kirk Cousins back to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft. The deal materialized not 24 hours after the Vikes were embarrassed in a 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football,” when Minnesota’s offense couldn’t find the end zone and struggled to simply get first downs.
But the Vikings weren’t the only team that’s been busy. Here’s a fuller breakdown of this year’s trade deadline winners and losers.
WINNERS
Kirk Cousins
He leaves the rebuilding Raiders, his tutelage of No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza complete, in order to return to Minnesota and pursue the ring that’s eluded him throughout his 15-year career − six of those seasons spent in the Twin Cities. Cousins, who had 20 TD passes in games with the Silver and Black, is playing his best football since 2023, when what had been his presumed final season in Minnesota was cut short by an Achilles injury. Pretty cool that Cousins, who wasn't enthused about leaving for Atlanta in 2024, gets to return and maybe complete some unfinished business.
Minnesota Vikings
In a stacked division where every other team has bona fide stud at quarterback, the Vikes at least upgrade significantly at the position by bringing Cousins back in light of the failed Kyler Murray experiment. Armed with one of the elite defenses the league has seen in the 21st century, Minnesota at least gives itself a more viable Super Bowl shot than it had 24 hours ago.
Former Colts wideouts
Both Keenan Allen (San Francisco 49ers) and Josh Downs (Kansas City Chiefs) were rescued from a sinking ship and now both get a shot to pursue a championship and, in Downs' case, maybe a sizable second contract as he plays out the remainder of his rookie deal with Patrick Mahomes throwing to him.
Justin Jefferson
The Vikings' best player, who spent his first four NFL seasons catching passes from Cousins, once again becomes an impactful player after being relegated to JAG (just a guy) status the past two seasons.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ locker room
It received an unmistakable message Monday, when the team aggressively obtained S Jessie Bates III and DTs Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux to bolster a defense that recently lost S Eric Murray and DT DaVon Hamilton to season-ending injuries. The Jags, who should be on a glide path to a second straight AFC South crown and, quite possibly, the No. 1 seed in the conference, are undeniably in hot pursuit of the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth in a year when the AFC seems fairly wide open.
Fernando Mendoza
Assuming the Raiders decide to play the No. 1 pick of the 2026 draft in Week 10, he'd be in line for his first pro start and just second appearance after getting some garbage-time snaps in Week 5.
LOSERS
Fernando Mendoza
Beginning your tenure as the Raiders' QB1 against the Seattle Seahawks' "Dark Side" defense, which isn't even three weeks removed from forcing three-time Super Bowl MVP Mahomes to endure the worst start of his NFL career? Good luck, pal.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ future
Second-year GM James Gladstone gave up a second-round pick to effectively rent Bates, plus a first- and second-rounder for Davis, who most definitely isn’t the second coming of Jeffery Simmons. It’s time to win in Duval County. Now.
Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.
The offers must have really been underwhelming for him to remain stuck as the team's fourth or fifth option at wideout.
Los Angeles Chargers
A team that has yet to win a game, whatever its reasons are, held on to players like OLBs Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu, WR Quentin Johnston and others rather than collecting needed assets going into 2027, when Mack and Tuipulotu are both out of contract.
Presumed NFC West contenders
With the Vikings shored up by the Cousins acquisition, the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks and presumed 2026 champion Los Angeles Rams – both are currently 5-4, which is worse than the Green Bay Packers (6-3), last-place residents in the NFC North – can no longer bank on Minnesota’s downward trajectory continuing. And, yes, while NFC North teams could attrit themselves to a degree in the latter part of the regular season, so will the Seahawks and Rams, who better get hot fast given all three of the conference’s wild-card slots are currently projected to go to the NFC North.
Jonathan Taylor
He remains tethered to the rebooting Indianapolis Colts, which seems like an unfortunate fate for a 27-year-old running back who sounded Sunday as if he'd played his last snap for the franchise that drafted him in 2020. Taylor remains among the league's top backs but, reportedly, a second-round pick wasn't enough to liberate him even though his championship window almost certainly doesn't align with the organization's. Maybe the Colts move Taylor in the offseason but, for now, another season of his prime has essentially been wasted.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vikings' Kirk Cousins deal might doom NFC West: NFL trade deadline winners, losers
