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Vikings Trade for Kirk Cousins After Wentz's Struggles

Updated 12:06 PM ET · 3:27 AM ETConfirmedShare via:          

Sports Desk

In Short: The Vikings' decision to trade for Cousins comes after Wentz's four-interception game against the Seattle Seahawks in his first start last season.

Kirk Cousins (croppedyellow).

Raiders News YOU CAN'T MISS After Kirk Cousins Trade To Vikings. Raiders Report by Chat Sports

The Minnesota Vikings made a significant move by acquiring quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Raiders, trading only a third-round pick in a series of deals that also saw the Bills bolster their roster with safety Amani Hooker from the Titans.

Wentz acknowledged the team's poor performance, saying, "This one felt pretty terrible. I’m not going to lie," via the Associated Press.

The Vikings' offense has been inconsistent, relying heavily on their defense to carry the team through games.

In the wake of the 23-6 defeat against the Bills, Vikings fans and media have been calling for a change at quarterback.

The Vikings' decision to trade for Cousins comes after Wentz's four-interception game against the Seattle Seahawks in his first start last season.

The Bills, who added Amani Hooker to their roster, are now seen as a formidable opponent for the Vikings.

The Vikings' offensive struggles have been a recurring theme this season, with Wentz's performance against the Bills serving as the latest example.

Fans and analysts are now looking to see how Cousins will perform in his new role with the Vikings.

The Vikings' decision to trade for Cousins signals a shift in strategy and a recognition of the need to upgrade the quarterback position.

The Vikings' defense, while strong, has not been enough to compensate for the team's offensive shortcomings.

The trade for Cousins is expected to provide a much-needed boost to the Vikings' offense and their overall performance.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• “This one felt pretty terrible. I’m not going to lie,” Wentz said, via the Associated Press.
• Wentz completed 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions against the Bills.

What's still developing

• Here's a quick recap of all the trades Vikings-Raiders Vikings get: Kirk Cousins Raiders get: 2027 third-round pick Colts-49ers Colts get: 2027 sixth-round pick 49ers get: WR Keenan Allen Colts-Chiefs Colts get: 2027 fourth-round pick, 2027 fifth-rounder Chiefs get: Josh Downs, 2027 seventh-round pick Bills-Titans Bills get: S Amani Hooker, 2027 fifth-round pick Titans get: 2027 second-round pick Chargers-Broncos Broncos get: LB Daiyan Henley Chargers get: 2027 fourth-round pick and 2028 fifth-round pick The Bengals tried to make the trade with the Eagles, but they called the deal off after realizing it would cost them a third-round compensatory pick.
• After watching Carson Wentz struggle on Monday night, the Vikings were desperate to add a QB, and not only did they get Cousins from the Raiders, but they only had to give up a third-round pick to land him.
• The Minnesota Vikings, coming off of their first loss of the 2026 regular season, will make their first prime time appearance of the year against one of the National Football League’s best teams.
• Both Wentz and Murray have now struggled this season in a Vikings uniform, and whilst third-stringer Max Brosmer showed out late on in lieu of Wentz, fans will not quickly forget his four-interception game against the Seattle Seahawks in his first-ever start on Nov. 30 2025, which also saw him make one of the more iconic mishap-plays of the season.
• The former No. 1 overall pick just signed a two-year, $13 million extension with New York, so the Giants clearly have some faith in him, but if he struggles over the next week or two, that could open the door for John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen to start poking around for another quarterback.
• The Cardinals honored Larry Fitzgerald, but a loss to the Broncos and a takeover by opposing fans highlighted the franchise's ongoing struggles.
• They started out well enough Thursday night that their fourth-quarter struggles didn’t really matter.
• Fans are aghast at the Kansas City Chiefs for signing Justin Tucker as a potential alternative amid Harrison Butker's struggles.
• Instead, Campbell told reporters to hang the unit’s struggles around his neck and those of his teammates after Detroit surrendered 445 total yards of offense and 32 points to quarterback Bryce Young and the Panthers in primetime.
• Detroit Lions superstar linebacker Jack Campbell refused to make any excuses following his team’s Week 4 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday Night Football while also refusing to let analysts, critics or fans pin the blame for the defense’s struggles on coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
• All season long, the story has been the offense’s struggles marring elite defensive performances.
• Jones ranks 19th with 1,722 and a dismal 68.9 rating.

Sources

• CBS Sportslink
• Heavy.comlink
• Nbcsportslink
• CBS Sportslink
• Bleacherreportlink
• Arizonasportslink
• Fox11Onlinelink
• Profootballnetworklink
• Heavylink
• Arrowheadaddictlink
• Fieldgullslink
• Daily Norsemanlink
• WarpBeat — background on Vikings to Start Wentz Against Bills With Murray Out link
• Raiders Report by Chat Sports — video link
• NFL on NBC — video link
• NFL on NBC — video link
• NFL on NBC — video link
• Purple Daily | Minnesota Vikings Podcast — video link
• Covino & Rich — video link