Vikings Urged to Trade Backup Quarterback
The Minnesota Vikings are content with their new backup quarterback, a man named Sam Howell, acquired during the 2025 NFL Draft from the Seattle Seahawks.
ESPN believes the Vikings should trade their backup quarterback — for a familiar backup quarterback.
Howell dished out nearly 4,000 passing yards and 26 total touchdowns as a starter in 2023 for the Washington Commanders before struggling with the Seahawks last year.
Now, ESPN believes the Vikings should send Howell to the Atlanta Falcons, less than two months after trading for him, in exchange for Kirk Cousins.
Yes, him.
ESPN Says Vikings Should Trade Sam Howell to Falcons
ESPN spitballed trade prices and theory for Cousins, Jalen Ramsey, and Trey Hendrickson this week, and when Dan Graziano and Seth Walder arrived at the Cousins section, they recommended a trade to Minnesota, where Cousins worked for six seasons.
Walder kicked off the festivities: “Offer: Falcons get: QB Sam Howell, cash considerations. Vikings get: Cousins. Why this deal makes sense for both sides: The key to the compensation for a Cousins deal is how much of his guaranteed money the acquiring team will take on. I’ll raise Dan’s offer and say the Vikings pay $12 million of it. This would allow Atlanta to save a little face and get out of the situation with a different backup quarterback.”
“For Minnesota, the upgrade at backup QB is more important because of the McCarthy situation. Cousins will have to accept a lesser role with his old team, but at least he’d be reunited with coach Kevin O’Connell.”
Cousins would be significantly more expensive than Howell and is 12 years older.
Alternate ESPN Trade Recommendation
Graziano also endorsed Cousins to Minnesota via trade but left Howell out of the deal.
He wrote, “Offer: Falcons get: 2026 fifth-round pick, 2027 seventh-round pick and cash considerations. Vikings get: Cousins. Why this deal makes sense for both sides: Well, it makes sense for all three sides, really, counting Cousins himself.”
“He wants a chance to start and could use his no-trade clause to nix a deal to any place he doesn’t want to go. But if he has to be a backup, we know he liked living in Minnesota and playing for the Vikings. Plus, J.J. McCarthy is still an unknown after his major knee injury, so maybe this could turn into more than just a QB2 destination. In this scenario, the Vikings would agree to pay $10 million of the guaranteed money on Cousins’ contract for 2025.”
The hypothetical Graziano trade would demote Howell to QB3.
Why the Vikings Won’t Pursue Cousins
Cousins probably won’t end up in Minnesota for a few reasons. First, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are forward-thinking leaders, and onboarding Cousins would invoke the past.
Thereafter, Cousins is expensive — he always is.
Finally, Cousins wants to start somewhere. With his no-trade clause, why would he laterally green-light a trade to Minnesota, where he’d sit behind J.J. McCarthy? He’s already sitting behind Michael Penix Jr. He’d basically do the same thing with the Vikings.
The trade doesn’t make sense on a few levels.
Sam Howell Is Just Fine as a QB2
Howell is perfect as an O’Connellian backup quarterback. He’s fearless, unafraid of throwing interceptions in the interest of driving the ball downfield. Howell is the new Nick Mullens.
The man is also 24 years old and could use the Midas touch from O’Connell. Cousins has already experienced the O’Connell school of quarterbacking, and Minnesota cut him loose 15 months ago.
Backup QB Rankings
Last week, SI.com‘s Gilbert Manzano ranked the NFL’s best backup passers, and Howell checked in at No. 13.
Manzano explained, “The Seahawks quickly traded Howell after drafting Milroe to back up Darnold. Howell found a home in Minnesota after coach Kevin O’Connell stopped responding to Rodgers’s texts about him possibly joining the team. (That’s a joke, maybe.) Howell had some positive moments as a starter for the Commanders in 2023.”
“He’ll now help second-year QB J.J. McCarthy prepare for his first season as a starter—unless Rodgers finds a way to Minnesota and not Pittsburgh.”
Cousins, on the other hand, ranked No. 1.
“It would have been interesting to see whether Cousins could still draw interest for starting opportunities. However, the Falcons weren’t willing to let him go for nothing after committing plenty of money on the four-year, $180 contract they handed the veteran signal-caller last season,” Manzano noted on Cousins.
“Cousins flourished in his new surroundings for two months, including a 509-yard performance against the Buccaneers. But Cousins’s lack of mobility and arm fatigue got the best of him down the stretch, forcing coach Raheem Morris to turn to Penix. It’s hard to believe the Falcons are willing to keep Cousins for the 2025 season.”
Cousins may be traded this summer, but the Vikings feel like an extreme long shot for his landing spot. If they wanted him so badly, they would’ve traded for him during the draft. Instead, they chose Howell. It’s as simple as that.
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