Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is heading back to Minnesota after the Vikings agreed a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to secure the services of the 38-year-old.

Cousins began his first spell with the Vikings after joining in 2018 as a free agent. He spent six years with the team before joining the Atlanta Falcons.

Following Minnesota's 23-6 defeat to the Bills on Monday Night Football, which featured an underwhelming performance from starting QB Carson Wentz, rumors intensified that the Vikings would be in the market for a new quarterback before Tuesday's trade deadline.

Minnesota Vikings Trade For Kirk Cousins

Those rumors became reality with less than 90 minutes to go until the deadline, when it was confirmed that the Vikings had agreed to send a 2027 third-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for Cousins.

Current Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was in charge for Cousins' final two seasons of his first stint with the team.

Cousins' first season under O'Connell was particularly impressive. He threw for 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as the Vikings went 13-4 in 2022.

The quarterback's numbers in the nine games he played for the Raiders this season marked a career resurgence that few saw coming at the start of the year.

Cousins currently sits second in the NFL in touchdown passes (40) and fifth in passing yards (2340). He looks set to be a valuable addition to a Vikings' offense that has struggled badly in recent weeks.

However, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Minnesota inquired about three other quarterbacks in the hours before they made the deal for Cousins.

The 3 Quarterbacks Minnesota Inquired About Before Kirk Cousins Trade

Per a tweet from Schultz, shortly after the Cousins trade was confirmed, the Vikings made phone calls to check on the availability of Justin Herbert, Daniel Jones and Geno Smith. All three inquiries were reportedly shut down quickly.

Despite starting the season 0-8, the Chargers "shut down all inquiries for Herbert." It was also noted that the 28-year-old has a no-trade clause in his contract.

A deal could also not be reached for Jones, with the Colts "not wanting to move on" from the player. The Jets also rebuffed Minnesota's attempts to make a trade for Smith. Geno was described as being "too important to the team and the development of other players" for the New York franchise to sanction a move.

If Cousins can deliver the same level of production that he did in Las Vegas, the trade should help the Vikings make a real run at the playoffs this year.

In his absence, it has been reported that the Raiders intend to start number one draft pick Fernando Mendoza against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.