Kirk Cousins Wiggles His Way Back into Vikings Discourse
Harsh times have fallen on the Minnesota Vikings, with the offense scraping the bottom of the NFL per efficiency and the quarterback on the shelf with a high ankle sprain.
A familiar name in Kirk Cousins has been whispered by some fans as a Vikings QB option, with injuries mounting all over the damn place.
That man, J.J. McCarthy, will be out for at least one week, and if his absence teeters on longer, well, a high-profile name has entered water-cooler talk for the purple team: Kirk Cousins.
Some Believe the Vikings Should Trade for Kirk Cousins
Cousins quarterbacked the Vikings for six seasons from 2018 to 2023.
Vikings Injuries Mount; Some Mention Cousins as the Fix
Sans McCarthy for a game, two, or three, theories have run wild about Minnesota’s next steps. Will Carson Wentz step in and forge a Sam Darnold-like path? Will Wentz stink, and force Minnesota to insert Max Brosmer into the lineup? Is Brosmer the next Brock Purdy? Will the Vikings give McCarthy his job back if Wentz is fantastic?
In addition to those questions and rumblings, Minnesota trading for Cousins is also a quasi-popular sentiment entering Week 3.
For example, longtime Eagles President Joe Banner led the way by tweeting: “Last week I said McCarthy is a long way from being a quality NFL QB. X attacked and ridiculed me after he had a come from behind win against a bad D. I still think the Vikings should call Atlanta about Kirk Cousins. McCarthy may be the answer someday, but it’s not now.”
Banner’s recommendation wasn’t exclusive; some purple fans have chirped about Cousins on social media.
Cousins Doing Nothing in Atlanta
In March 2024, Cousins signed a mammoth $180 million contract over four years, only for the Falcons to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. six weeks later. The draft pick shocked the masses because $180 million is far and away starter’s money.
Cousins took the QB1 job title into 2025, and after a 6-3 start, he and his team facelplanted, creating a QB1 lane for Penix Jr., who snatched the job from Cousins and has not returned it.
Since, Cousins has lived in the trade rumor mill, and many believed he would be released during the offseason, but Atlanta did no such thing.
Probably a Hot Commodity Next Month via Trade
The NFL’s trade deadline is November 5th — 50 days from now on the nose — and Cousins should become a hot commodity by then. Quarterbacks are already dropping like flies, and one might argue that Cousins is the best QB2 in the world, assuming he rekindles some of his prime flair.
Teams not named the Vikings may inquire about Cousins, and from there, he can resume his career as QB1, at least for half a season. Depending on the acquiring team’s desperation, Cousins might fetch the Falcons a 4th- or 5th-Rounder via trade.
Likely Too Expensive for the Vikings
Why won’t Minnesota take the plunge on a Cousins trade? In addition to already having McCarthy, Wentz, and Brosmer in the roster orbit, Cousins’ cap number is $57.5 million in 2026 and $57.5 million in 2027. And he’s never been the kind of character who accepts a team-friendly pay cut, so he’ll protect that contract with his life.
Unless the Falcons agree to swallow an unusual amount of Cousins’ salary this year and beyond, some team would pay starting quarterback money to onboard the man via trade.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s cap situation in 2026 is already grim. Unusually grim.
More Cousins-t0-Minnesota Recommendations
Writer Chase Irle also backed Cousins to the Vikings: “The Vikings let Sam Darnold walk in the offseason due to their belief in J.J. McCarthy. Through two weeks, there have been some flashes, but it’s been mostly bad quarterback play in Minnesota, especially against the Falcons on Sunday Night Football. On top of that, McCarthy is now dealing with an ankle injury that is expected to sideline him for the next 2-4 weeks.”
“If Minnesota still believes McCarthy is the future, they may simply ride out the storm. But if there are doubts, a reunion with Cousins could make perfect sense. He knows Kevin O’Connell’s system inside and out, and Minnesota’s roster is too talented to waste a season waiting for McCarthy to develop into something he’s not ready to be right now.”
And Clutch Points‘ Ben Strauss: “Minnesota should be motivated to make a move. McCarthy has not looked good in his first two starts. The second-year QB only managed 301 passing yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions over his first two starts. Give him credit for willing the Vikings to a comeback victory in Week 1. But that should not influence the evaluation on him too heavily.”
“Cousins could fill in for McCarthy until he is healthy, at minimum. At that point, the Vikings could make a call on whether McCarthy needs to be in the starting lineup, or if he can continue to gain experience on the bench. In theory, that flexibility should be valuable to the Vikings. Especially now that the Packers and Lions are both looking dominant in the NFC North.”
Cousins turned 37 last month.
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