Intriguing Team Reached Out to Vikings About Kirk Cousins Trade

The biggest storyline surrounding the Minnesota Vikings right now is the future of Kirk Cousins. Two straight seasons missing the playoffs, coupled with leadership questions and an expiring contract, have observers wondering if new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could explore a Cousins trade this offseason.

Kirk Cousins Trade

It turns out one intriguing team has reached out to the Vikings about a Cousins deal.

Kirk Cousins Trade Rumors

Judd Zulgad of SKOR North wrote on Monday that there is "buzz" involving the Carolina Panthers being interested in Cousins. Zulgad added on the Purple Daily podcast that the Vikings received a call from Carolina.

“They have gotten a call. Now, from what I’ve heard, it went nowhere so far ... But it’s interesting that the phone did ring at TCO [Stadium] in Eagen and on the other end of the line, the Carolina Panthers.

- Judd Zulgad

The Panthers' potential pursuit makes sense. The team's struggled to find a consistent quarterback in recent seasons, cycling through the likes of Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, Sam Darnold and Cam Newton over the past two years.

Though Carolina exercised Darnold's fifth-year option, there's nothing about his play that should make him a legit option to start at QB long term. The Panthers have strong pieces in play on defense, and Cousins could certainly elevate this 5-12 team.

With trade talks going "nowhere" for now, though, no move appears to be imminent. New Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell worked with Cousins before, and he seems committed to seeing things through with the veteran.

Cousins carries a $45 million cap hit in 2022 and is slated to hit free agency in 2023. This will likely be the first of a few calls the Vikings get this offseason as QB-needy teams look to upgrade.

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Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.