The Vikings wanted another quarterback

The Minnesota Vikings finally reacquired Kirk Cousins just before Tuesday's trade deadline, sending a third-round pick in 2027 to the Las Vegas Raiders. However, it has come to light that they had explored the market much more extensively before finalizing the deal.

According to reporter Jordan Schultz, who cites several league sources, Minnesota inquired about Justin Herbert, Daniel Jones, and Geno Smith before reaching an agreement with Las Vegas.

The Vikings had to act quickly. Carson Wentz's disastrous performance against Buffalo and the struggles of the injured Kyler Murray made acquiring a quarterback a necessity.

“He's untouchable”

In New York, the Jets' response is causing a stir. According to WFAN host Craig Carton, the Vikings called to inquire about Smith's price, and the Jets replied that he was untouchable because he was too important to the development of their young players.

Carton didn't hide his sarcasm: “He's too important to [Kenyon] Sadiq's development. Obviously, he never gets the ball, but he's very important.”

His co-host, Chris McMonigle, took a more nuanced view. He believes Cousins was more valuable to the Vikings than Smith, given his knowledge of the offense and his relationship with coach Kevin O'Connell. He was clear, however: if a third-round pick had been offered for Smith, “the Jets were foolish to say no.”

Russell Wilson Praises the Vikings' Move

Former quarterback Russell Wilson, for his part, applauded Minnesota's bold move on CBS Sports HQ. In his view, Cousins is making the comeback of the year after a rough stretch in Atlanta. He pointed out that the veteran is now surrounded by many talented players, with O'Connell calling the shots on offense.

“You could see it on KOC's face last night. He was thinking, ‘We have to do something. This isn't good enough,'” he added.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.