The Minnesota Vikings won their second game of the season in Week 6, taking down the Bears by a 19-13 margin. A win may be something to celebrate in the NFL, but the Vikings did not distinguish themselves in the triumph.

Chicago quarterback Justin Fields suffered a dislocated thumb in the 3rd quarter and undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent had to step in and replace the starter. The Vikings were able to force a fumble and return it — courtesy of linebacker Jordan Hicks — for a touchdown that gave them a 13-point lead.  However, they turned off the gas after that and merely tried to hold on for the win.

They nearly gave the game away until Byron Murphy intercepted a late Bagent pass and the Vikings were able seal the game in the final two minutes.

The point is that the Vikings were life and death to beat one of the worst teams in the NFL, and that makes it very unlikely that they will be able to turn their season around.

They are 2-4 with an angry 49ers (5-1) team coming to U.S. Bank Stadium in a Week 7 Monday night game. Injuries could weaken the Niners, but it still seems unlikely that the Vikings can beat San Francisco.

If the fall to 2-5 with a road game at Green Bay on the horizon, the Vikings will be left with the slimmest of hopes. At that point, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be forced to seriously consider trading a couple of established players to give Minnesota a chance to build a more talented team in the future.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins

The Vikings biggest name has been associated with trade rumors since the start of the season. If the Vikings had been able to match what they had done a year ago when they were 5-1 after their first 6 games, there would be no trade rumors involving the Vikings starting quarterback.

However, he is not under contract for the 2024 season and the Vikings may well be in the market to draft a talented rookie quarterback like Caleb Williams of USC, Michael Penix of Washington or Bo Nix of Oregon next spring.

Quarterback injuries around the NFL could dictate which team makes the best offer to the Vikings for Cousins. His name has been mentioned for the New York Jets since Week 1 when Aaron Rodgers suffered his Achilles injury.

Nothing has happened to change that. The Jets (3-3) have played competitive football with Zach Wilson under center, but do the Jets really thing that Wilson is capable of beating the best teams and helping the team not only get to the postseason but win postseason games? If the answer to that question is no, they have to give Cousins strong consideration.

Other teams that want to upgrade their QB situation will also get involved in possible trade scenarios.

Cousins has a lot to offer because he is an accurate passer with a strong enough arm and more than adequate experience. He lacks mobility and he has never been at his best against high-level opponents.

Danielle Hunter

The Vikings best pass rusher is bound to attract significant attention prior to the October 31 trade deadline. He is a brilliant athlete who can get after the quarterback and cause havoc for opponents.

Hunter had 7 tackles and 2.0 sacks for the Vikings in their win over the Bears, and he tracked down the athletic Fields on multiple occasions throughout the game. He caught Fields from behind in the third quarter on the play where the quarterback suffered his thumb injury.

Hunter already has 8.0 sacks this season and is on track to have a monster year. He had a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2018 and he repeated that performance in 2019, and he could fly by that number if he can stay healthy this season.

Injuries have been a problem for Hunter in the past, but he was healthy in 2022 and he has been able to remain in the lineup in all 6 games this season.

Hunter is a powerful combination of speed, strength and high-level skill. He has tremendous hands that he can use to win the battle against offensive linemen and then has the closing speed to get the quarterback on the ground.

Adofo-Mensah must make key decisions

It will not be easy to trade either Cousins or Hunter because they are clearly two of the team's best players.

Moving either or both players is sure to have an impact in the locker room. However, Adof0-Mensah must keep his eyes on the prize and make the right move once he concludes that the Vikings are not a legitimate postseason threat this season.