Vikings Reacquire Kirk Cousins From Raiders in Deadline-Day Trade

The Minnesota Vikings reacquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday in a trade announced on NFL deadline day, bringing back their former starter for a 2027 third-round draft pick. The Vikings said the deal is pending a physical.

The move gives Minnesota an experienced quarterback it knows well as it heads into the second half of the season. The Vikings were 6-2 at the time of the trade and preparing for a Week 10 game at Green Bay. Tuesday was the NFL’s in-season trade deadline, with deals required to be completed by 4 p.m. ET.

Cousins had started nine games for the Raiders this season and put up solid numbers before the trade. According to the Vikings, he completed 202 of 315 passes, a 64.1% rate, for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 97.1 passer rating.

The acquisition marks a midseason reunion between Cousins and the franchise he quarterbacked from 2018 through 2023. That history makes this an unusual deadline move: rather than adding a passer who must learn an entirely new organization on the fly, Minnesota is bringing back a veteran already familiar with the team from his six-season run there.

Cousins joined Las Vegas in April after his stint with Atlanta ended and opened 2026 as the Raiders’ starter. Las Vegas was 4-5 at the time of the deal and had been using Cousins as a veteran bridge option while rookie Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft, served as the backup. With Cousins moved, the Raiders are expected to turn to Mendoza.

The Vikings announced the trade on their website at 2:20 p.m. CT. Compensation details were first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, whose report was cited by the team and matched by multiple outlets. Pelissero described the move as a deadline-day deal that sends Cousins back to Minnesota for the club’s playoff push while Las Vegas hands the job to Mendoza.