MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings reacquired quarterback Kirk Cousins to try to revive their sputtering offense, beating the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday with an agreement to send their 2027 third-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The deal, which was contingent on Cousins passing a physical exam, created an opening for rookie Fernando Mendoza to take over with the Raiders and a spark for a Vikings team that started 6-0 but has been
stuck in a quarterback quandary that has threatened to waste a dominant showing by the defense.
The 38-year-old Cousins had some of his best career performances with the Vikings while helping them win 13 games in 2022 in coach Kevin O’Connell’s debut. He was playing even better halfway through the following season when he tore his Achilles tendon during a game at Green Bay in Week 8.
Guess where the Vikings play on Sunday? Lambeau Field, to face the rival Packers.
With Kyler Murray sidelined by a hamstring strain — he has missed two full games and the majority of a third to injuries — on Monday night against Buffalo, a Vikings offense that has been off track since Sam Darnold struggled through the last two games of the 2024 season hit a new low with Carson Wentz.
In his 101st start in the NFL, Wentz posted a career-worst 8.9 passer rating — the lowest by anyone in the league with at least 10 attempts in a game, according to Sportradar data, since Sam Howell (1.7) went 6 for 22 with two interceptions for 56 yards for Washington on Dec. 24, 2023.
Wentz was 8 for 25 for 81 yards, two interceptions and a lost fumble from a badly overthrown swing pass to Justin Jefferson in the first quarter that went backward for a live ball. With Wentz hobbling on an ankle injury and the offense going nowhere, Max Brosmer took over midway through the fourth quarter of the 23-6 loss.
“We had a lot of plays we felt good about coming into the game that clearly did not come to fruition in any way, shape or form,” O'Connell said.
Since Cousins got hurt on Oct. 29, 2023, a span of 53 games, O'Connell has made 14 in-season switches at quarterback because of injury or performance, involving nine different starters. Assuming Cousins is on the field against the Packers on Sunday, he'll make it 15 changes — and that doesn't include the yearly moves made during the offseason.
Cousins topped 4,200 passing yards four times in his first five years with the Vikings, who extended his contract twice before letting him leave as a free agent in 2024 for Atlanta and drafting J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the draft. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in his very first exhibition game, paving the way for Darnold's breakthrough.
When the Vikings decided not to pursue Darnold in free agency, where he landed with eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle, they pinned their offense last year on the raw McCarthy and paid for it without a better backup plan. McCarthy was limited to 10 games by multiple injuries and frequently erratic when he played. Wentz made five starts before needing season-ending shoulder surgery. Brosmer was an undrafted rookie in over his head in emergency duty.
With Murray and Wentz atop the depth chart this year, new general manager Nolan Teasley felt confident enough six weeks ago to trade McCarthy to the New York Giants for a fifth-round draft pick. McCarthy has fared relatively well for the first-place Giants, who needed a sub for the injured Jaxson Dart.
“Kirk Cousins is going back,” McCarthy said when asked about the trade after practice with the Giants. "Yeah, wish him nothing but the best of luck. I know he’s loved in that building, so he’ll be a great fit.”
The Vikings had an extra third-round selection from Philadelphia in a swap they made in April for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. The Eagles are unloading at 2-7, and the Vikings are still 6-2 despite their severe passing problems. That means the pick they sent the Raiders is likely to be much lower than the one they’re owed by the Eagles.
The Raiders can now turn their offense over to Mendoza, the first overall pick in this year’s draft after winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship with Indiana. Mendoza won’t exactly get eased in, with a game on Sunday against the defending champion Seahawks. The Raiders, however, ranked eighth in the league in scoring over the first nine weeks with Cousins running the offense despite being second-worst in rushing yards per game.
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AP Sports Writers Mark Anderson in Las Vegas and Stephen Whyno in East Rutherford, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
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