The Minnesota Vikings got some terrible injury news on Monday. Second-year quarterback JJ McCarthy will miss up to four weeks with a high ankle sprain. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with an injury, so it is tough to see him sidelined again after only playing two games.
McCarthy is not the only injured Viking, either. Minnesota is also expecting to be without running back Aaron Jones in Week 3. The Vikings also have two offensive linemen, Ryan Kelly and Justin Skule, who are in concussion protocol. That makes them uncertain for Week 3 as well.
McCarthy's struggles in Week 2 only make the situation look even worse. PFT's Mike Florio mused on Monday that Vikings fans may already feel like they made a mistake this offseason.
“While last night’s injury likely impacted [McCarthy’s] late-game play, some Vikings fans have to be wondering whether they should have kept Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones,” Florio wrote. “Or signed Aaron Rodgers. Or traded for Kirk Cousins.”
But as Florio notes, Kirk Cousins is still (technically) available.
“The last part remains possible. If, when McCarthy returns, the struggles continue, the Vikings will have until the Tuesday after Week 9 to decide whether to bring Kirk home in an effort to save the 2025 campaign.”
Cousins is already viewed as a trade candidate to watch around the deadline later this season. But perhaps the Vikings could be persuaded to pull the trigger on a trade well before then.
Would the Vikings want to reunite with Cousins? And if so, what would it take to get a deal done with the Falcons?
Below we will explore the possibility of the Vikings trading for Kirk Cousins amid JJ McCarthy's recent injury.
Why Kirk Cousins makes sense for the Vikings in 2025
It is easy to understand they hype around a potential Kirk Cousins reunion in Minnesota.
Cousins is wasting away on the bench in Atlanta. He would certainly welcome the opportunity to become a starting quarterback again, even if for just one season. And what better destination could he ask for then Minnesota?
The Vikings have already proven that they're willing to reunite with former players. Most recently, the Vikings brought back Adam Thielen in a big trade with the Panthers.
Cousins' familiarity with Minnesota has to make him the most attractive quarterback they could add. He already has chemistry with Thielen, and more importantly Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison. Cousins may need some time to readjust to Minnesota's offensive scheme, but he has several seasons in it already under his belt. He'd be better prepared than most to be dropped in during the middle of the season.
It is obvious that, if both teams wanted to make a deal, that Cousins is the perfect trade target.
And Minnesota should be motivated to make a move.
McCarthy has not looked good in his first two starts. The second-year QB only managed 301 passing yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions over his first two starts.
Give him credit for willing the Vikings to a comeback victory in Week 1. But that should not influence the evaluation on him too heavily.
Perhaps the best part of a potential Cousins trade to Minnesota is that it could work for them both now and later.
Cousins could fill in for McCarthy until he is healthy, at minimum. At that point, the Vikings could make a call on whether McCarthy needs to be in the starting lineup, or if he can continue to gain experience on the bench.
In theory, that flexibility should be valuable to the Vikings. Especially now that the Packers and Lions are both looking dominant in the NFC North.
Vikings' perfect trade proposal to Falcons for Kirk Cousins
So what would it take for the Vikings to acquire Kirk Cousins?
Here is one trade proposal that could get the job done.
Vikings receive:
- QB Kirk Cousins
Falcons receive:
- 2026 fourth-round pick (projected compensatory pick – Daniel Jones)
- 2026 fifth-round pick (projected compensatory pick – Cam Robinson)
The Vikings are more than able to offer an adequate trade package to the Falcons.
In fact, Minnesota is expected to have 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft based on projections of the compensatory pick formula.
However, the problem becomes affording Cousins himself.
Atlanta has made it clear that they want anyone trading for Cousins to take on the majority of his remaining contract. That's a huge commitment after he signed a $180 million deal just over a year ago.
Even if the Vikings want Cousins badly, he'll need a revised contract.
Cousins is currently due $27.5 million in guaranteed salary in 2025. That alone is enough to put Minnesota almost $12 million over the salary cap.
If Cousins is unwilling to revise his contract, I don't see how the Vikings could possibly afford him.
Ultimately, this deal could only happen if Cousins wants it to. He has a no-trade clause and his contract is not affordable for any team looking to acquire him.
But if anyone could pull it off, it feels like it would be Minnesota.
