Jon Gruden thinks the Minnesota Vikings should already be thinking about a Kirk Cousins reunion, even with the team sitting at 5-0 behind Kyler Murray. The former Raiders head coach brought it up on The Gruden Family Football Show and pointed to the weapons Minnesota has on offense:
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“Man, if I was the Vikings with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, I bet they’re knocking on [Kevin] O’Connell’s door. ‘Come on, man!’” Jon said on the show about the idea of Kirk Cousins.
“… I am just saying the Raiders are in an interesting spot because they’re going to get some calls, I promise you.”
The comment carries weight because Cousins is playing well for a team that has lost three straight. The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-3, and Cousins has 1,582 passing yards, 14 touchdowns (tied for first in the league), and five interceptions through six games. At 38, he has thrown multiple touchdown passes in five of six games.
He opened the season with three touchdowns in each of the first three games, all Raiders wins. Then came a 365-yard game in a 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and a 313-yard game in a 33-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills. In between was a 45-17 loss at the New England Patriots, where rookie Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, took his first NFL snaps on the final drive.
If it weren’t for the losses, Kirk Cousins sure is giving back the Raiders their money’s worth.
Minnesota has no obvious need to rush anything either, because the Vikings are 5-0 and coming off their Week 6 bye. Kyler Murray, currently on a one-year deal with the team, has thrown for 662 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He missed one game due to a concussion.
While it is still too early to say what Minnesota will do with Murray after the season, it wouldn’t be a bad choice to bring in Kirk Cousins, who is clearly playing at a higher clip.
That is the backdrop for the Gruden argument. Murray has two touchdowns through four games, while Cousins has 14 through six. Co-host Kayce Smith said the Raiders would have to hear out the offers, since throwing Mendoza in as a rookie and asking him to carry them to the playoffs is a lot, and she explained why the timing matters:
“You do know that people will probably offer a lot for Kirk Cousins. You gotta strike while the iron’s hot a little bit.”
Moreover, Minnesota will be familiar ground for Kirk Cousins. He spent six seasons there, made three Pro Bowls, and went 50-37-1 as the starter there. Minnesota also moved on from J.J. McCarthy in September, trading him to the New York Giants. There will be ample room for the veteran quarterback here in case the Vikings do not extend Murray’s stay.
Cousins will not be in the Raiders for a long time, as Fernando Mendoza will eventually be handed the QB1 keys. The veteran QB still has plenty of juice left in him, and who knows? Another team might be looking to make use of that potential.
Vikings On SI’s Jason Harmon does not see a deal coming. He put the odds of a Cousins trade at under 5%, and he said it would take Murray struggling against the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions, while the Raiders lose at least three of their next four games.
The Raiders can take advantage of the weakened Rams and should have one over the New York Jets, too. Facing the San Francisco 49ers might be difficult. But the Raiders face the Seahawks afterward, and could give them a tough fight.
Meanwhile, Murray and the Vikings host the Colts next, while Cousins and the Raiders face the Los Angeles Rams. Both quarterbacks will be watched closely, with the trade deadline coming up soon.