Peter King Echoes Familiar Sentiment about a Kirk Cousins Trade
If you’re new to the Kirk Cousins trade rumor mill, here’s some news: the man probably won’t be traded in the next two weeks.
Cousins has frequented the NFL’s trade rumor mill since Week 1, after his Minnesota Vikings lost at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon the next night.
Peter King Echoes Familiar Sentiment about a Kirk Cousins Trade
Since then, it’s been a “where might he go?” on Cousins’ in-season status with the Vikings, although the 35-year-old is performing quite well as the team’s signal-caller, and Minnesota has offered zero indication of a trade.
But don’t tell that to the NFL’s shadowy rumor creators. Cousins has been a faux trade target for about five teams: the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans.
The trade deadline is October 31st.
On Monday, NBC Sports’ Peter King advanced a similar sentiment about a Cousins trade possibility — it probably won’t happen. King wrote, “I think it’s not impossible Kirk Cousins gets traded, but I think it’s unlikely … unless an injury at quarterback forces a playoff-contending coach very familiar with Cousins, who could play to his strengths, to look for a quarterback. My guess is if the 49ers got an injury to Brock Purdy, they’d go with Sam Darnold.”
Cousins ranks first in the NFL in touchdown passes and second in passing yards through six weeks.
“But if Miami loses Tua Tagovailoa before the Oct. 31 trade deadline, who knows if Mike McDaniel would want to roll the dice with Cousins for the rest of the year. There’s one other factor: Cousins has a no-trade clause. He’s very likely not going to waive it, no matter how bad the situation gets in Minnesota in the next two weeks, unless it’s — as I said — to a coach he knows well, with an offense he could master,” King concluded on the Cousins trade sweepstakes.
Last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter essentially said the same thing about any Cousins trade. “Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell does not want to move on from the quarterback that led his team to an NFC North title last season. Cousins is comfortable in Minnesota, with his family settled there, and is not looking to move on. Cousins also is known to prefer to have a firm grasp on his offense and a longstanding comfort level with his wide receivers, and he would not have that with most NFL teams looking for a midseason trade,” Schefter wrote on October 14th.
And before that, Cousins was asked whether he’d waive his no-trade clause this month, and he replied, “I’m just very focused on the Bears and going 1-0 this week. Anything else is just not worth my time or energy or attention.”
The strategy worked, as the Vikings took down the Bears, 19-13, in a rather sloppy game.
Like King, though, Schefter also left an out for a Cousins trade, claiming a “perfect storm” would be required to complete the deal.
“Although Cousins’ response to the question was open-ended, it would take a perfect storm to conjure a scenario that would result in the Vikings cashing out on their season and trading Cousins,” he noted.
On the whole, Cousins will likely remain the Vikings QB1 for the next 11 games, and fans will learn of his 2024 fate during the offseason. In recent days, NFL insider Jay Glazer and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini have claimed Minnesota might want Cousins back for a seventh season next year.
The Vikings play the 49ers in one week on Monday Night Football.
Beloved Former Viking Could Be Traded
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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