Last night’s NFL game did not disappoint, with D’Andre Swift and the Philadelphia Eagles taking down Kirk Cousins and his Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football, 34-28. The Eagles scraped their way to a 2-0 start after sneaking by their first two opponents, while across the field, the Vikings fall to 0-2 with several questions needing answers.
Minnesota finds themselves in a real predicament early. Only 9.5% of teams that have started 0-2 in a season since 1970 have gone on to make the playoffs. It’s a far cry from where the team was last year when they would finish 13-4 on the year and secure the NFC’s No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
With so much uncertainty and a road that doesn’t look to get any easier — the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs are two of their next three opponents — is it time for the Vikings to start thinking toward the future?
The NFL is unpredictable, and things conceivably change overnight at times, but would a Cousins trade to the New York Jets following the Aaron Rodgers injury in the Big Apple make sense? Let’s take a closer look at the idea and see if it’s possible.
Should the Minnesota Vikings Trade Kirk Cousins to the New York Jets?
Without question, this would be a big move. The Jets made every move this offseason with the idea of being ready to win now. The roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and they’re ready to make a run in 2023.
The Rodgers injury changes all of that, as the Jets are forced to revert back to Zach Wilson under center to keep the season on track.
MORE: Could the New York Jets Trade for a QB After Aaron Rodgers’ Injury?
The Vikings, meanwhile, find themselves in a unique situation, one which would take some forward thinking and bravado to pull off. However, if Minnesota can be honest with themselves and think beyond 2023, they could make a bold move that pays dividends down the road.
It will be INTERESTING to see if the New York Jets will try to trade for the Vikings Kirk Cousins
Vikings are 0-2 with a tough stretch coming up before the trade deadline, with Cousins heading to free agency.
Cousins runs the same system in Minnesota and with Washington pic.twitter.com/oyggwDdsUB
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) September 15, 2023
Cousins is in the midst of a one-year, $35 million deal that carries a cap hit just north of $20 million. With no guarantees that Cousins will be back in the fold in 2024, the Vikings may be able to sell high to a win-now Jets team and accumulate draft picks while taking Cousins’ contract off the books and look to the future.
The Jets would have a quarterback who is more than capable of distributing the ball and making plays. Despite several dropped passes and a make-shift offensive line, Cousins was able to keep his team in the game by going 31 of 44 for 364 yards and four touchdowns.
And while a lot went wrong for the Vikings on Thursday night, Cousins was not one of those problems.
Improbable Doesn’t Mean Impossible
These types of moves are few and far between in the NFL, but it’s not like it’s a completely foreign idea either. A team starting 0-2 and realizing that they may not be the team they think they are is a bold but honest move, one that would take a front office that is confident in their long-term plan and is okay with short-term backlash to ensure they’re competent into the future.
From a Jets’ perspective, there isn’t a single QB that presents a more ready-now option in 2023. Cousins is a top-10 quarterback in the eyes of many evaluators, and if the Jets are truly in an all-or-not situation, a one-year rental may just be crazy enough to work for them.