Kirk Cousins traded back to Vikings; Mendoza gets 'Go get em' send-off from mentor

Kirk Cousins left Las Vegas with a brief, public message for the man he was leaving behind. After the Las Vegas Raiders traded the veteran quarterback to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday ahead of the NFL trade deadline, Cousins posted a photo on his Instagram Story of himself walking alongside No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, writing: 'Thank you Raider Nation! Go get em @fernandomendoza.'

The trade sends Cousins back to Minnesota — where he spent six seasons from 2018 to 2023 — in exchange for a 2027 third-round draft pick, according to multiple reports including from ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The deal remains pending a physical.

For the Raiders, the move does exactly what it was always designed to do, eventually: clear the runway for Mendoza. The 2026 No. 1 overall pick has appeared in just one regular-season game, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards during a Week 5 blowout loss to the New England Patriots. Now, with Cousins gone, he is set to make his first career start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks — a team that enters the matchup with the NFL's top-ranked defense in total yards and passing yards allowed, according to ClutchPoints.

Cousins had been signed on a one-year deal this offseason specifically to start ahead of and mentor the rookie. Over nine starts, Cousins went 4-5, completing 64.1 percent of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, posting a 97.1 passer rating and helping lift an offense that finished last in scoring in 2025 to eighth in the NFL this season at 26.4 points per game, per ClutchPoints.

Minnesota's need was urgent. The Vikings entered Tuesday at 6-2 but had lost two straight, and their quarterback situation had become the story of their season. Kyler Murray, acquired this offseason and the nominal starter, missed Monday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills with a hamstring injury. His replacement, Carson Wentz, went 8-for-25 with two interceptions in what CBS Sports described as a dreadful performance. Across eight games this season, Murray, Wentz and backup Max Brosmer combined to complete 60.9 percent of their passes at 6.4 yards per attempt, with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

We've had dialogue about a lot of different positions. Tight turnaround, obviously, playing the Monday night game, and we'll get right to work on any potential moves that can be there. But really just focused on the game tonight, which was not good enough in any way, shape or form.— Kevin O'Connell, Vikings head coach

O'Connell coached Cousins for two of his six seasons in Minnesota. In 2022, Cousins made the Pro Bowl, throwing for 4,547 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. That same season, star receiver Justin Jefferson led the league in catches (128) and receiving yards (1,809), according to The Guardian. Jefferson has managed just 31 catches for 393 yards and four touchdowns on 51 targets this season — a reflection, CBS Sports noted, of quarterbacks unable to make proper reads or throws.

Cousins is 38 years old and not a long-term answer for Minnesota, as The Guardian noted. His recent history is uneven: he led the NFL in interceptions during the 2024 season with the Atlanta Falcons, and last weekend against the San Francisco 49ers he threw three interceptions, according to Fox News. But the Vikings' calculus is straightforward — their defense is arguably the best in the league, and the quarterback play surrounding it has been, in CBS Sports' word, 'unacceptable.'

The Vikings' quarterback troubles trace back to the 2025 offseason, when they did not re-sign Sam Darnold after his breakout 2024 season. Darnold signed with Seattle and won the Super Bowl the following February, according to Fox News. Minnesota then cycled through J.J. McCarthy — who missed time with a high-ankle sprain and later a hand fracture — before acquiring Murray, who suffered a concussion in the season opener and has presided over a bottom-ranked offense. McCarthy was eventually traded to the New York Giants, where he is now a starter for a team in the playoff hunt, per Fox News.

Cousins is expected to be promoted immediately ahead of both Murray and Wentz. He is familiar with much of what Minnesota does on offense from his previous tenure, which Fox News noted should make his transition as close to seamless as a mid-season quarterback trade allows. The Vikings went to the playoffs twice during his first stint, though Cousins went just 1-2 in three postseason games, according to CBS Sports.

For Mendoza, the road ahead is steep. After Seattle, he faces a trip to Denver to take on a strong Broncos defense, then a game in Cleveland against the Browns, before the Raiders' bye week. CBS Sports noted the schedule eases somewhat after the bye, with games against the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals, though Mendoza will still face the Broncos again in Week 15 and the Kansas City Chiefs in the regular-season finale.

Why it matters — The trade resets the quarterback picture for two franchises simultaneously — giving a defense-first Vikings team a proven if imperfect starter while launching the career of the most-hyped rookie quarterback in years under the harshest possible conditions.

Reported by yahoo.com, theguardian.com, cbssports.com, foxnews.com, usatoday.com, clutchpoints.com, reviewjournal.com