The Minnesota Vikings haven't seen too much of alleged franchise quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the 2025 season due to injuries, and he didn't set the world on fire in his limited playing time. Backup Carson Wentz has played like his usual self, meaning he will follow beautiful throws up with jarring head-scratchers in some uneven performances.
While the Vikings clearly seem content with riding out a veteran backup like Wentz until McCarthy is back healthy, that hasn't stopped the national media from trying to bully Minnesota into making a trade for one of the many veteran quarterbacks available.
ESPN's Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler had the Vikings going in what can charitably be called an unexpected direction, as they listed Kirk Cousins, now of the Atlanta Falcons, as one of 25 players to watch at the trade deadline. Minnesota was listed as the only possible fit for him, should the Falcons move him.
Cousins put together many quality years of service with Minnesota, but it was time for everyone to leave. The Vikings know that, and their fans know that, but ESPN's desire to see Cousins back in purple and gold is oddly strong, for whatever reason.
ESPN links Minnesota Vikings to trade for Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
As Vikings are more painfully aware of than any other fanbase in the league, Cousins is not a bad quarterback. Up until his Atlanta tenure, which came after his Achilles injury, he could be counted on to pile up gaudy passing numbers while generally avoiding turnovers and putting his team in positions to win.
However, as Vikings fans were reminded of time and time again, there's a hard ceiling on any team quarterbacked by Cousins due to his inability to come out on top in big games. In his late 30s with a major injury reducing his already limited mobility to the point where he is a statue in the pocket, Cousins is not an attractive trade asset.
While watching Wentz can be a frustrating experience, McCarthy will return to action soon enough that it would be foolish to give up assets to bring Cousins back into the fold. With the number of backup quarterbacks out there that can't do much of anything when given the chance, Wentz gives this offense a degree of explosiveness most veterans wouldn't.
If trading for Cousins is Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's big fix to an offense that has seen some wild swings in quality with and without McCarthy, it's fair to question his judgment.