Raiders trade Kirk Cousins in a blockbuster deal on NFL trade deadline day

The Kirk Cousins era has come to an abrupt end for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Cousins has reportedly been sent to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a third-round draft pick ahead of Tuesday’s 1 p.m. trade deadline.

The move clears the way for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza to take over as starting quarterback for the final eight games of the season, though no official announcement has been made by the team. Former starter Aidan O’Connell is also on the roster.

The 38-year-old veteran Cousins was brought in as a bridge starter to mentor Mendoza so the team would not have to rush the rookie’s development.

But a rare opportunity to trade a starting quarterback for worthwhile draft compensation emerged with the Vikings. With a Super Bowl-caliber defense, the Vikings needed better quarterback play after Kyler Murray struggled before he injured his hamstring. Then on Monday night, backup Carson Wentz completed for 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The Vikings decided on Cousins, who played for six seasons in Minnesota, including three Pro Bowl selections. He is being reunited with coach Kevin O’Connell, who was there with Cousins for two seasons and also served as his quarterbacks coach in Washington.

Minnesota is expected to take on $650,000 in guaranteed money for the remainder of 2026 and $10 million that has already been guaranteed to Cousins for 2027.

Cousins is fifth in the league with 2,346 passing yards and second with 20 touchdowns, though he is coming off a three-interception game in a 38-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Cousins has led the Raiders to a 4-5 record and the team had indicated a desire to keep him in place as long as they remained in contention for a postseason berth.

He has acknowledged an understanding his job was temporary, however, with a top overall pick waiting in the wings.

“Nothing changes in the sense that if I’m not the best option, then I don’t want to be out there either. I want our football team to have the best chance to win games,” Cousins said last month. “But I feel that Fernando’s done a great job and has a bright future ahead. I’m going to try to go out there and play as well as I possibly can, help us win, and give him a great example to learn from until he does go out there eventually.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.