What happened: The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Raiders ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline for a 2027 third-round draft pick. The completion of the deal remains pending Cousins passing a physical examination. In concurrent deadline movement, wide receiver Josh Downs was traded to Kansas City.
Why it matters: Minnesota sits at 6-2 and holds the No. 6 seed in the NFC following consecutive losses, including a 23-6 defeat against Buffalo. The front office moved to stabilize the passing game for the playoff push after evaluating Cousins as an immediate upgrade under center.
By the numbers: Cousins has completed 202 of 315 passes for 2340 yards with 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in 2026 through 9 games. Downs has caught 33 passes for 354 yards and 1 touchdown in 2026 through 9 games. Minnesota enters Week 10 at 6-2 through 8 games.
What to watch: Cousins will report to Minnesota for his physical examination before integrating into practice ahead of Week 10.