Skepticism Grows on Vikings' Likelihood of Blockbuster Trade

The Minnesota Vikings still have some decisions to make: Will they push for a headline trade or move forward with what they have?

It's no secret what fans would want. The city of Minnesota wants the Vikings to build a no-doubt contender around the NFL's best defense. When you consider that defensive coordinator Brian Flores might be a head coach elsewhere next season, it makes sense to make the most of 2026.

Some are wondering if the Vikings will opt to add a quarterback to replace Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray as starter. That move is gaining skepticism.

A-to-Z Sports' Tyler Forness discussed the considerations the Vikings will need to have when deciding what to do at the NFL trade deadline on Thursday. Here's some of what Forness had to say.

"There are some interesting through lines when talking about a quarterback addition. Adding one during the year often doesn't matter that much, but the Vikings are in an interesting spot, mainly due to multiple potential options having already played for head coach Kevin O'Connell. The learning curve for the offense would significantly minimized, which is important.

The curious element is the reporting around both Daniel Jones and Kirk Cousins have been linked to the Vikings. Unfortunately, both have been reported to not be available. The more curious of the two is Jones, as the Indianapolis Colts are now 2-7, while the Las Vegas Raiders still have hope for the playoffs.

If the Vikings don't end up making a move at quarterback, it shouldn't be viewed as a surprise, even if feels like it. They chose Kyler Murray going into the year, and are very likely to ride with the horse they chose."

The question in trading for Kirk Cousins is, are you willing to part with a first-round draft pick in a trade for a 38-year-old quarterback? Cousins may only have three more years, if that, of an NFL career left, and that's if he can sustain a high level of play. A change of scenery could mess with the current momentum he is enjoying with the Raiders.

Would you trade a first rounder if Cousins took you to a Super Bowl and promptly retired? Surely most Vikings fans would go for that. But securing Cousins' spot at quarterback would far from guarantee a Super Bowl for Minnesota. Cousins would have to win two playoff games in one postseason first.

We'll monitor what moves the Vikings choose to explore on the trade deadline's final day.