Raiders 'never made one call on Kirk Cousins' before trading QB to Vikings

"See you soon, MN!" wrote Cousins shortly after the trade.

It became even clearer that the Vikings needed QB help after a frustrating 23-6 Week 9 home loss to the Buffalo Bills on "Monday Night Football." Backup QB Carson Wentz filled in for Kyler Murray (hamstring), completing 8-of-25 passes for 81 yards and tossing two interceptions before being benched for Max Brosmer in garbage time. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Murray — who has posted a below-average 86.6 passer rating in six games — may not have been much better if he played against the Bills.

Cousins should be a clear upgrade. He ranks second in the league in touchdown passes (20) and fifth in passing yards (2,340) entering Week 10. 

That's why the Raiders almost kept the 38-year-old QB. Vegas (4-5) is third in the AFC West behind the Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) and Denver Broncos (7-2) but remains in the playoff hunt. The 15-year veteran is better suited to help Vegas make a postseason push than rookie QB Fernando Mendoza. 

The Raiders, though, must play 2026 No. 1 overall pick Mendoza — who has played one game (zero starts) — to give him valuable experience. Cousins, who's on a one-year deal, isn't the future of the franchise. 

"We [were] all staring the future in the face here with Fernando, and Kirk was very open with that when we got him," Spytek said. "We had to decide: Do we want to go forward here over these last eight games, or do we want to take what Minnesota is offering right now? Ultimately, we decided to do that."

The Raiders hope Mendoza leads them to the playoffs. Even if he doesn't, at least they can use the pick acquired in the Cousins deal to keep building around him. 

The Vikings, meanwhile, hope Cousins is the last piece in their Super Bowl puzzle. Minnesota (6-2) is tied with the Detroit Lions (6-2) for second in a tight NFC North. The Chicago Bears (7-2) and Green Bay Packers (6-3) are also championship contenders. 

An uptick in QB play could propel the team to a division title, which could reward it with a home playoff game. Cousins could clearly provide more than that. 

If Cousins takes the Vikings to the next level, that would make the phone call Spytek received even more consequential. It could make the rest of the NFC North wish he sent the Vikings to voicemail.