The Minnesota Vikings have their old quarterback back. Kirk Cousins is returning to Minnesota after the Vikings acquired the 38-year-old from the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, in a deadline trade completed hours before the 4 p.m. ET cutoff, sending a 2027 third-round pick to Las Vegas.
Cousins knows the city, the coach and the playbook. He spent six seasons with the Vikings from 2018 to 2023, a run that ended when he tore his Achilles at Green Bay in October 2023, and he stayed close with head coach Kevin O’Connell even after leaving as a free agent to join the Atlanta Falcons before the 2024 season.
A Monday night collapse forced Minnesota’s hand
The Vikings did not wait long after their worst night of the season. Minnesota fell 23-6 to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, 9 November, dropping to 6-2, with Carson Wentz posting a single-digit passer rating and committing three turnovers in the start.
The numbers explain the urgency. Minnesota ranks 31st in the NFL in passing offense at 160.8 yards per game and 27th in scoring at 18.3 points per game, a poor return for a 6-2 team with a defence run by coordinator Brian Flores that has kept it in the thick of a tightly contested NFC North race.
Kyler Murray began the season as the starter but left the Week 1 game before halftime with a concussion and has failed to spark the offence in five starts since. Cousins, by contrast, has played some of his best football since the Achilles injury, throwing for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine starts for Las Vegas, good for a 97.1 passer rating.
What the trade looks like on both sides
| Detail | Vikings receive | Raiders receive |
|---|---|---|
| Player / pick | QB Kirk Cousins, 38 | 2027 third-round draft pick |
| 2026 record | 6-2 | 4-5 |
| Cousins in 2026 | 2,340 yards, 20 TD, 8 INT, 97.1 rating | Started all nine games |
| Next step | At Green Bay, Sunday 15 Nov | QB Fernando Mendoza starts |
For Minnesota, the price is modest and the fit is immediate. Cousins played under O’Connell from September 2022 until the Achilles injury, so he can run the offence with almost no learning curve, and he is playing this season on a one-year deal worth $11.3 million, according to Spotrac.
For Las Vegas, the deal closes a strange chapter. The Raiders began the season 3-0 and head coach Klint Kubiak resisted calls to bench Cousins, but at 4-5 and adrift of the AFC playoff picture, they have chosen to hand the offence to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who now faces the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos in the next two weeks.
Jefferson gets his quarterback back
Nobody in Minnesota should be happier than Justin Jefferson. The wide receiver has just 393 receiving yards and 31 receptions this season, tied for 53rd in the league, after years of producing with Cousins throwing him the ball.
The pair’s history is the strongest argument for the trade. Jefferson caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 2020 with Cousins, and across 54 games together the two have combined for 354 catches, 5,338 yards and 29 touchdowns, according to the Vikings.
NBC Sports reported the teams later confirmed the deal after it was first reported by The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero, and the completion was pending Cousins passing his physical with the Vikings. If he clears it, he could be the starter when Minnesota visits Lambeau Field on Sunday.
How the rest of the deadline shook out
| Move | Details |
|---|---|
| Kirk Cousins, Raiders to Vikings | For a 2027 third-round pick |
| Jessie Bates, Falcons to Jaguars | Safety traded Monday for two draft picks |
| Jonathan Taylor, Colts | Stayed in Indianapolis; no deal |
The Cousins deal was the headline, but it was not the only move of the final days before the deadline. Atlanta opened the week by trading safety Jessie Bates to Jacksonville for two draft picks, while Indianapolis held on to running back Jonathan Taylor despite speculation.
It has been a championship-heavy autumn for American sports fans, from the Brewers’ first World Series title to the rain-soaked São Paulo Grand Prix won by Lando Norris on Sunday. Now Minnesota has added its own twist: a familiar face, back at the position that has held the Vikings back all season.
Kirk Cousins Vikings trade FAQs
Why did the Vikings trade for Kirk Cousins?
Minnesota’s passing game ranks 31st in the NFL at 160.8 yards per game, and Carson Wentz struggled badly in Monday’s 23-6 loss to Buffalo. Cousins knows O’Connell’s offence from their time together and is playing well in Las Vegas.
What did the Vikings give up for Cousins?
A 2027 third-round draft pick, sent to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders also clear the way for rookie Fernando Mendoza to start.
When will Kirk Cousins play for the Vikings?
He could start as soon as Sunday, 15 November 2026, when the 6-2 Vikings visit the 6-3 Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, once he passes his physical.
How has Cousins played for the Raiders in 2026?
He started all nine games, throwing for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions and a 97.1 passer rating, his best football since the 2023 Achilles injury.
What happens to Fernando Mendoza now?
The No. 1 overall pick becomes the Raiders’ starting quarterback, with the Seahawks and Broncos next on the schedule as Las Vegas, at 4-5, turns toward its future.
