Vikings First Called Raiders About Kirk Cousins Hours Before Monday Night Game

The Minnesota Vikings first reached out to the Las Vegas Raiders about a potential Kirk Cousins trade midday Monday, hours before they played the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, league sources told ESPN and NFL Network. On that initial call, Minnesota told Las Vegas it wanted to see how the game went before holding further conversations, though it would be in touch if needed.

Early the next morning, after Minnesota's offensive meltdown, the Vikings called the Raiders before 6 a.m. PT and put a potential Cousins deal in motion. The Raiders were not looking to move the quarterback, especially with Minnesota's opening offer of a fifth-round draft pick, according to sources.

Once the Vikings raised the offer to a third-round pick, the Raiders weighed whether the trade made sense. Beyond the pick, the deal freed up $10 million in cash for the 2027 season because the bonus guarantee owed to Cousins shifted to Minnesota. Sources described it as a trade the Raiders did not enjoy making but believed was in the organization's best interest.

Las Vegas also has strong internal reviews of Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in 2026, who one source said has looked "phenomenal" in practice. There was never going to be a perfect moment to make him the starter, but Minnesota's offer created one. Cousins will start Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, while Mendoza makes his first career start against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

The Cousins deal lands amid league-wide friction over trades falling apart. The NFL's competition committee is expected to discuss potential solutions after several deals this week were voided or altered. The Bengals backed out of an agreed trade with the Eagles for linebacker Arnold Ebiketie, the Lions and Jets changed the compensation in a deal for safety Andre Cisco, and the Broncos voided a trade with the Chargers for Daiyan Henley after concerns about the linebacker's knee. Last offseason, a Maxx Crosby trade between the Raiders and Ravens was voided when he failed his physical.

Some front office executives argue trade terms should not be negotiable once agreed to, and Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters Thursday that the loophole needs to be closed. The Eagles were displeased that Cincinnati reneged after learning it would lose a third-round compensatory pick, and the Chargers were unhappy Denver tried to revise terms after Henley's physical. One possible fix would bar teams from altering draft picks after an agreement, leaving only the choice to accept or decline.

Elsewhere at Tuesday's trade deadline, the Bills and Jaguars pursued many of the same players. Both were aggressive for Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis, whom Jacksonville acquired for first- and second-round picks, and for former Falcons safety Jessie Bates, who cost the Jaguars second- and fifth-round picks. Buffalo pivoted to safeties Budda Baker and Amani Hooker; Arizona declined to move Baker, but Tennessee sent Hooker and a fifth-round pick to the Bills for a second-rounder.

The Vikings also checked in with the 49ers on quarterback Mac Jones during their search. General manager John Lynch told Minnesota it would take a second-round pick and more, a price that ended the conversation. Coach Kyle Shanahan views Jones as a franchise-caliber quarterback, and Jones went 5-3 with a 97.4 passer rating last season filling in for an injured Brock Purdy. He is in the final year of a two-year, $8.41 million contract and will be a free agent after the season.

Among other deadline notes, the Packers and Broncos inquired about Titans running back Tony Pollard, but Tennessee would not have moved him for less than a third-round pick. Philadelphia, despite trading Davis and center Cam Jurgens, held on to tight end Dallas Goedert. Several teams, including the 49ers, asked about the 31-year-old, but he never got close to being dealt and could even re-sign with the Eagles for 2027.