Kirk Cousins Trade Doesn’t Change That Vikings Will Still Have QB Needs in 2027

The QB reunion is a short-term fix for a long-term problem.

Kirk Cousins's return immediately improves the Vikings' offense, but that doesn't mean they should stop thinking about their next potential QB. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley and head coach Kevin O’Connell made the right decision earlier this week by trading a 2027 third-round pick to the Raiders for Kirk Cousins, who was officially named the Week 10 starter on Friday. With a championship-level defense and an offense barreling off a cliff, something needed to change.

Thanks to the trade, the team returns to a familiar, safe face, and it’s clear the locker room and fanbase are optimistic about the potential of an all-in run for the Lombardi this season. If it works, I’m not sure many Vikings fans will care much about what comes next.

But what if it doesn’t? 

The quest for a quarterback has been a decades-long process for the Vikings, and odds are, it is nowhere near finished. 

Vikings' Cousins move is about the present, not the future

It probably isn’t shocking to anyone to say that a 38-year-old Kirk Cousins is unlikely to be the Vikings starter three to four years down the line. While making roster moves in a vacuum is typically a bad idea, this one simply had to be done. The Vikings defense has made this team a contender, and while the offense may not suddenly turn into the 2007 Patriots upon Cousins’s arrival, any bit of added consistency will help immensely. 

Does this mean Teasley is kicking the QB can down the road? Not exactly. The first-year GM was asked what this move may mean for the future during his media availability on Wednesday, and he made it clear that they are still exploring all options. 

LIVE: GM Nolan Teasley https://t.co/dLFPTysolV

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 11, 2026

“We're studying the draft class, we're studying the potential free agents. All of that starts really now. It's always ongoing, and then who's available even on the street currently, but this move was about what's best for the Vikings right now.”

Nolan Teasley on future QB plans

It’s clear that Teasley understands his burden, and while Cousins may elevate the Vikings right now, there are still plenty of questions to answer for the future. The simplest path is to bring Cousins back and draft a QB for him to mentor, something he once seemed hesitant to do as he sought out a long-term deal in 2024. His current contract includes a two-year, $80 million option after this season, but the Vikings would almost certainly void it before negotiating a new contract. 

Other options include soon-to-be free agent Mac Jones, whose youth and schematic fit may be appealing. Then there’s the big fish. The Vikings reportedly checked in on Justin Herbert before the trade deadline, but the Chargers quickly ended the call. I wouldn't be shocked if they call once again this offseason. 

The #Vikings also inquired about Justin Herbert, Daniel Jones and Geno Smith before striking a deal with the #Raiders for Kirk Cousins, per multiple league sources.

The Colts listened but did not want to move Jones, while the Jets felt Smith was too important to the team and the… https://t.co/UwF8tzZDU7 pic.twitter.com/4ghV7bd7JV

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 10, 2026

Whatever the path may be, the team is in desperate need of their quarterback hero, especially after their latest attempts have failed disastrously. 

Nolan Teasley’s number one job remains answering the QB question 

O’Connell and former Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were tasked with finding and developing a long-term answer at the QB position when they were hired in 2022. Although the process took some time, they eventually took a swing at J.J. McCarthy with the tenth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft just over a month after Cousins left in free agency. 

With Adofo-Mensah fired, McCarthy on the Giants, and Cousins back in Minnesota after stops in Atlanta and Vegas, it’s safe to say the plan was unsuccessful after only two years. 

The Vikings signed Kyler Murray to a one-year minimum deal this past offseason, hoping the 29-year-old could be their answer for years to come. After only five full games as the starter, that dream came to a harsh end. Now, the Vikings turn back to Cousins, hoping for a run to the Super Bowl while they prepare for whatever comes next.

Let’s hope that Teasley and O’Connell have a better plan this time around. 

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