The Minnesota Vikings fell to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon, and are now 0-3 on the season. Kirk Cousins is in the final year of his contract and understandably mentioned in trade rumors to contending teams.
Minnesota could still be a contending team, of course. They made the playoffs just last year and the NFC North is wide open. The Vikings have yet to play anyone in their division.
However, if the trade deadline approaches and the Vikes aren't showing any signs of life, it might make sense to trade Cousins to a quarterback-needy team for some draft capital. If Minnesota were to take on the rest of Cousins contract -- and he continues to play this well -- they could potentially fetch a first-round selection for him.
NFL Rumors: Could the Raiders trade for Kirk Cousins?
If Sunday night proved anything, it's that the Raiders as currently constructed will not be winning much of anything this season. Jimmy Garoppolo is a fine quarterback, but he is not built to spread the ball around to this many weapons. Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Renfrow and more deserve someone like Cousins. While he's not necessarily a top-tier QB himself, Cousins is better than Garoppolo ever has been, and has experience dealing with elite wideouts like Justin Jefferson and (at one time) Adam Thielen.
Josh McDaniels is on the hot seat and may be fired by the end of the season if Vegas doesn't turn things around. It could be in his best interest to convince the front office to trade for Cousins, even if it'll cost some draft capital. Frankly, those picks don't matter to McDaniels if he's not around beyond 2023 anyway.
Cousins is the ultimate win-now pickup. His contract isn't guaranteed beyond this season, and he's a proven veteran. Shoot your shot, Vegas.
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