The Minnesota Vikings reached a new offensive low in Monday's 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills. In his first start since Kyler Murray's hamstring injury, Carson Wentz completed only 8 of his 25 passes for 81 yards and two interceptions, wasting another superb effort from Brian Flores' defense.
Minnesota's offense looked lifeless long before Wentz got behind center. The Vikings rank 31st in both total offense and passing offense, as coach Kevin O'Connell has yet to find answers despite his (increasingly dubious) reputation as a quarterback whisperer.
J.J. McCarthy providing stability to the New York Giants amid their playoff chase makes this even more painful for Vikings fans, as O'Connell was content with moving on from the top-10 pick after just
10 starts.
Now, the Vikings are running out of time to bolster their QB room before the 4 p.m. trade deadline. Here's are four options if they're able to swing a move.
Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have been hesitant to trade Cousins because they've been more competitive than expected this season, but at 4-5 with a defense that's getting exposed weekly, it may be time to turn to Fernando Mendoza.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert looks like a broken quarterback right now. It's unclear whether O'Connell, who mishandled McCarthy's development, is the right coach to fix Herbert, but it sure would be interesting to see him try.
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
It's a decidedly boring move, but one Minnesota would improve from. Jones, at the very least, can pick up O'Connell's offense quickly after playing under him in 2024.
Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
Mariota doesn't have much left in the tank athletically and isn't exactly Cal Ripken Jr. from a durability perspective. However, his wheels could give Minnesota a boost to its otherwise middling run game.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Vikings QB trade candidates: 4 options after Carson Wentz disaster
