Vikings Reacquire Kirk Cousins From Raiders at Trade Deadline as Fernando Mendoza Takes Over in Las Vegas

The Minnesota Vikings reacquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2027 third-round pick at the November 10 NFL trade deadline, making No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza the Raiders' starter.

Nov 11, 2026 - 14:12

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The Minnesota Vikings reacquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday, November 10, sending a 2027 third-round draft pick to Las Vegas shortly before the NFL's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, both teams announced. The Raiders said completion of the deal was pending Cousins passing a physical.

The trade returns the 38-year-old Cousins to the franchise he played for from 2018 to 2023 and clears the way for Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, to become the Raiders' starting quarterback. ESPN reported that Mendoza will make his first career start on Sunday at home against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, with Aidan O'Connell as his backup.

How the Deal Came Together

Raiders general manager John Spytek said the team was not actively looking to trade Cousins and that talks did not materialize until Tuesday, ESPN reported. Spytek said the most important call came from Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley. "There was nothing to speak about," Spytek said of whether he had discussed a trade with Cousins beforehand. "We didn't have any expectation that this was coming."

Sports Illustrated reported that Teasley first called the Raiders about Cousins on Monday, before Minnesota's game against the Buffalo Bills, and that Spytek told him, "You'll have to make us an offer that moves us." According to Sports Illustrated and to The Ringer's Tom Pelissero, as cited by Pro Football Rumors, the Vikings initially offered a 2027 fifth-round pick that could have become a third-rounder, but the Raiders insisted on an unconditional third-round selection. Sports Illustrated reported that Las Vegas agreed to take Minnesota's own third-round pick rather than one the Vikings had acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Once compensation was settled, Spytek left the final decision to Cousins, according to both Sports Illustrated and Pelissero. Sports Illustrated reported that Spytek told the quarterback, "If you don't want this, we won't do it," and gave the Vikings permission to speak with him. Cousins and Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell talked for almost an hour before Cousins gave the Raiders the go-ahead, the magazine reported. "So much respect for John Spytek and the Raiders organization," Cousins' agent, Mike McCartney, told Pelissero. "There aren't many leaders in this league who would've done that."

Minnesota's Quarterback Problem

The Vikings made the move less than 24 hours after a 23-6 home loss to Buffalo on Monday night. Carson Wentz, starting in place of the injured Kyler Murray, completed 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards with two interceptions, according to ESPN and Fox Sports. ESPN reported that Wentz committed three turnovers and posted a 2.3 QBR, the worst performance by a Vikings quarterback since 2006. Murray, who signed a one-year contract with Minnesota this spring, sat out with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, ESPN reported.

Minnesota is 6-2 after a 6-0 start, and ESPN reported that the offense scored only 19 points across the two losses. Fox Sports reported that the Vikings rank 31st in the NFL in passing yards and total yards per game and 27th in scoring, while their defense ranks first in points allowed at 14.5 per game.

The position has turned over repeatedly since Cousins tore his Achilles tendon at Green Bay in Week 8 of the 2023 season. According to the Vikings' website, nine different players, counting Cousins in that game, have started for Minnesota since then. The Vikings traded J.J. McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick, to the New York Giants for a fifth-round pick on September 28, the team said.

Cousins' Season and Contract

In nine starts for Las Vegas, Cousins completed 202 of 315 passes, or 64.1%, for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, with a 97.1 passer rating, according to the Raiders and the Vikings. ESPN noted that his 20 touchdown passes rank second in the NFL.

Fox Sports reported that across 88 regular-season games with Minnesota, Cousins totaled 23,265 passing yards, third in franchise history, and 171 touchdown passes, second. Three of his four Pro Bowl selections came with the Vikings, and the team's most recent playoff win came with him at quarterback, an overtime victory at New Orleans in the 2019 wild-card round, Fox Sports reported.

After leaving Minnesota, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 and was released two years later, Fox Sports reported. He joined the Raiders in April, where he played for first-year head coach Klint Kubiak, a former Vikings quarterbacks coach. ESPN reported that unless his contract is reworked, the Vikings will owe Cousins the remainder of his $1.3 million base salary this season and a $10 million roster bonus in the spring.

What Comes Next

Cousins' first start in his second stint is expected Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, Fox Sports reported, the same stadium where his 2023 season ended. Sports Illustrated reported that Cousins was back at the team's facility on Wednesday morning working one-on-one with O'Connell.

In Las Vegas, the 4-5 Raiders turn to Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to its first national title. ESPN reported that Mendoza appeared once this season, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards late in a Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots. Spytek said Mendoza "passed every test" and that the move does not mean the team is giving up on the season. "We have a big game this week against the defending world champs, and we intend to attack it like we would any week," Spytek said, according to ESPN.