The Minnesota Vikings are pursuing a trade for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins ahead of Tuesday's deadline, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Minnesota has until 4 p.m. ET to finalize a deal. The franchise began making trade calls in search of a quarterback earlier Tuesday, according to Schefter and Ian Rapoport.
Cousins has thrived with the Las Vegas Raiders this season, ranking fifth in the NFL in passing yards (2,340) and second in passing touchdowns (20) in nine games. Fernando Mendoza, the 2026 No. 1 pick, is the quarterback of the future in Las Vegas, but the team appears to be in no rush to start him. Cousins spent six seasons (2018-23) in Minnesota, including two with current head coach Kevin O'Connell.
The 2-7 Indianapolis Colts are clear deadline sellers, but they reportedly informed signal-caller Daniel Jones that he won't be traded. Jones has struggled this season while coming back from an Achilles injury suffered in 2025. He spent part of the 2024 campaign with the Vikings under O'Connell.
The Vikings own the NFL's top defense but also one of the league's worst offenses. Starting quarterback Kyler Murray has underwhelmed with an 86.6 passer rating this season and is currently dealing with a hamstring injury. Backup Carson Wentz put forth an abysmal performance in Monday's 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills, committing three turnovers while completing just 8 of 25 passes.
