The Minnesota Vikings should be looking to add a veteran quarterback ahead of the trade deadline.
While J.J. McCarthy managed to bounce back in a big way in Week 9, the Vikings don't have a quality insurance policy for the young signal-caller just in case he struggles or gets injured again.
Their previous insurance policy, Carson Wentz, aggravated his shoulder injury in Week 8 and is out for the season.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that "league sources believe Minnesota could still make a move for a quarterback by Tuesday's deadline."
While many believe former Vikings and current Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins could be an option for Minnesota, it remains highly unlikely the Vikings will pull the trigger on such a deal because of the Falcons' demands.
According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Falcons are still "asking for more in return than teams have been willing to pay" and there is no sense that Atlanta is willing to eat some of Cousins' remaining salary, which amount to a massive hurdle.
Kirk Cousins is the big name drawing attention because he's a veteran backup behind Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta and has made it clear he'd like to go to a team that offers a better chance to start. But I've been told Cousins' status hasn't changed. The Falcons still value him highly as a backup option (he has already had to start one game this season due to a Penix knee injury) and are asking more in return than teams have been willing to pay -- especially because an acquiring team would have to take on about half of Cousins' $27.5 million salary in 2025 and the $10 million guarantee he has for 2026.
Cousins, who has a no-trade clause, also, would be a seamless fit in Minnesota, seeing as how he has already played in the Vikings' offense.
However, Cousins has also shown clear signs of decline dating back to last season, when he was benched for Michael Penix Jr. despite the Falcons jockeying for playoff positioning.
Because of that, it's simply not worth it to give up draft capital and take on Cousins' contract, which runs through 2027 — and that's especially true when you consider Cousins might never see the field.
Instead, the Vikings should turn their attention to the New York Giants, who figure to have Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston available. After the Giants turned to Jaxson Dart, both Wilson and Winston are expendable.
Wilson and Winston are much cheaper than Cousins. Wilson will be a free agent in 2026, also, and Winston presents a possible multi-year solution since his contract runs through next season.
If we had to pick, we'd go with Winston, who offers more upside than the declining Wilson. However, either one would be a solid addition and better than any backups Minnesota currently has.
NFL trade rumors