The Minnesota Vikings won their third game in a row, but starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was injured against the Green Bay Packers. There are reports that Minnesota has lost Cousins for the season with a torn Achilles.
The Vikings are now 4-4 and in second place in the NFC North, trailing the 5-2 Detroit Lions. Minnesota is still without All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who will be out at least one more week with a hamstring injury.
Rookie quarterback Jaren Hall made his NFL debut when he took over after Cousins was hurt. With the NFL trade deadline approaching on Tuesday, let’s look at some possible replacements for Cousins.
Top Trade QB Options for the Vikings
With the trade deadline approaching on Tuesday, Minnesota will have to work quickly if they want to acquire a quarterback on another team’s active roster.
Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill missed the Tennessee Titans’ Week 8 win against the Atlanta Falcons because of an ankle injury. Rookie Will Levis passed for four touchdowns, including three to DeAndre Hopkins. The Titans are 3-4 in the AFC North and second place behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.
MORE: Will Levis Has Impressive First Game as Tennessee’s Starter
Tannehill is a free agent after the season, and the team might want to take a full-time look at the quarterback they took in this year’s draft. His ankle injury isn’t considered serious, and the team had hoped he could play this week.
Jacoby Brissett
The Washington Commanders might be willing to trade their veteran backup quarterback with Sam Howell in place as the team’s starter. Jacoby Brissett, who is in his eighth NFL season, has not played in 2023 but has 48 career starts.
Andy Dalton
The Carolina Panthers signed Andy Dalton to a two-year deal to backup Bryce Young, the top pick in this year’s draft. Dalton started for Young, who was out with an injury, and he was impressive with 361 passing yards and two touchdowns in a Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Carolina could decide to trade Dalton and pick up a draft pick or two.
Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston is with the New Orleans Saints and backing up Derek Carr, who signed a four-year deal as a free agent in the offseason. Winston only has 17 pass attempts this season but has been a starter most of his career. He signed a deal in the offseason to return to New Orleans after the team brought in Carr.
Top Free Agent QB Options for the Vikings
Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy might be fit for the Vikings because he spent three years with head coach Kevin O’Connell when both were in Washington from 2017 to 2019. O’Connell was Washington’s offensive coordinator when McCoy was the team’s backup. Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips was Washington’s tight ends coach for two of those seasons.
McCoy appeared to be a leading candidate to start the season as the Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback during training camp but was released when Josh Dobbs was signed. McCoy started three games last season for Arizona and has started at least one game in the previous five seasons.
Matt Ryan
Former NFL MVP Matt Ryan is a CBS analyst after not signing with a team during the offseason. He said before the season that he was not retiring, but in May, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio that “all the stars would have to align” for him to return to the field.
He told CBS Sports that his agent had reached out to the New York Jets after Aaron Rodgers was injured. Would the chance to team up with Justin Jefferson be intriguing enough to leave the booth?
Carson Wentz
Carson Wentz reportedly reached out to the Jets when Rodgers was injured, but the team wanted to stay with Zach Wilson. Wentz is not with a team after being a starter for the last seven seasons. He was with the Washington Commanders last season, throwing 11 touchdowns with nine interceptions in eight games.
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