• The Vikings acquired Kirk Cousins from the Raiders before the trade deadline, bringing back the quarterback who led Minnesota from 2019 to 2023 and made three Pro Bowls with the team.
• Cousins has thrown for 2,340 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, but Las Vegas appears ready to turn to rookie Fernando Mendoza after falling to 4-5.
• Minnesota is 6-2 behind one of the NFL’s best defenses, but its struggling offense prompted the move.

Kirk Cousins is returning to the Minnesota Vikings more than two years after the team allowed the veteran quarterback to leave as a free agent.

The Vikings acquired Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday before the NFL’s 1 p.m. PST trade deadline in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2027, according to multiple media outlets.

A 15-year player, Cousins played for the Vikings from 2019-2023, going 50-37-1 as their starting quarterback and making three Pro Bowls during that span. After two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins has played well for Las Vegas this season, completing 64% of his passes for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

After dropping to 4-5, however, the Raiders appear ready to move on with 2026 No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza at quarterback.

The Vikings are 6-2 this season behind a stellar defense that is giving up 14.5 points (best in the NFL) and 280 yards (second to the Seattle Seahawks) a game. Minnesota’s defense is also tied with that of the Houston Texans for most sacks (29) with each team having played eight games.

Meanwhile, the Vikings offense is one of the league’s worst, averaging just 266.8 yards (31st) and 160.8 passing yards (31st) a game.

The trade comes a day after a disastrous “Monday Night Football” outing by backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who completed eight of 25 passes for 81 yards with three turnovers while starting for the injured Kyler Murray in a 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Minnesota selected quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason.

Sam Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record that year, but he left as a free agent the following offseason and won Super Bowl LX with the Seattle Seahawks in February.

Last season, McCarthy started 10 games for Minnesota, with Wentz getting five starts and Max Brosmer two. This past offseason, the Vikings signed former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Murray as their starter and kept Wentz as his backup. McCarthy was traded to the New York Giants in late September.