Minnesota sends a 2027 third-round pick to Las Vegas to reunite with the quarterback it let walk, while the Raiders turn to Fernando Mendoza.
Kirk Cousins is headed back to Minnesota. The Las Vegas Raiders traded the veteran quarterback to the Vikings just before the NFL's trade deadline, agreeing to the deal a little less than 90 minutes before the 4 p.m. ET cutoff. Minnesota is sending Las Vegas a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The move comes after a rough stretch for the Vikings offense, including a woeful performance from backup Carson Wentz in Monday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills while starter Kyler Murray was out injured. Minnesota is hoping Cousins, who spent six seasons with the franchise from 2018 to 2023, can stabilize things.
Cousins signed a five-year, $172 million contract with the Raiders in the offseason, a deal that effectively amounted to a one-year, $20 million guaranteed commitment. The Vikings now inherit what remains of that contract. In Las Vegas, the Raiders move forward with Fernando Mendoza taking over at quarterback.
There is also a scheduling twist: Cousins' former team, the Atlanta Falcons, is still helping pay part of his 2026 salary and is set to visit Minnesota on Thanksgiving weekend, meaning Atlanta will face the quarterback it released only months earlier.