Quarterback trade rumors give Vikings bleak outlook for impact deadline deal

The Minnesota Vikings could be in the market for a quarterback trade ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 10, but there just doesn't seem to be any good options available.

The reason behind the Vikings' potential desire to make a move at quarterback comes from the fact that Kyler Murray has struggled this season. Making matters worse, he's now on the shelf with an injury.

Amazon Prime Video's James Palmer reported on Thursday that the Vikings are indeed at least exploring the market for a quarterback, and ESPN's Adam Schefter added that the Vikings are a team to watch when it comes to a possible quarterback trade.

We previously listed four intriguing names the Vikings should take a look at, including Justin Herbert, Daniel Jones, Mac Jones and Kirk Cousins.

However, based on the latest trade rumors and other nuggets out there, it appears those players may not be attainable.

According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero , the Indianapolis Colts have told teams they aren't interested in trading Daniel Jones.

"There has been some trade interest in Daniel Jones, but the Colts have told interested teams they aren't trading him," Pelissero reported.

Perhaps that changes in the days ahead, but Jones, who has some familiarity with the Vikings' offense after his brief stint in Minnesota in 2024, looks to be unavailable for now.

The Los Angeles Chargers have told teams they aren't interested in trading anyone, including veteran edge rusher Khalil Mack, according to The Athletic's Jonathan Jones , who makes the most sense to unload. That makes a Herbert trade even less likely than it already is.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport are reporting the same on Mack, and they take it a step further by saying that teams have been given "hard nos" on guys like Herbert and wideout Ladd McConkey.

"Calls from rival general managers on Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey and others have received hard nos," Schefter and Rapoport wrote.

ESPN's Adam Schefter said on his podcast on Thursday that the Las Vegas Raiders trading Cousins "makes no sense to me."

"[Cousins] is the perfect mentor to their No. 1 pick who they don't want to rush along, and who they want to leave on the bench… Why are the Raiders trading Kirk Cousins to Minnesota? Why are they doing that?" Schefter said.

Fellow NFL insider Charles Robinson believes Cousins can be had, but for the expensive price of a third-round pick, which we're skeptical about the Vikings being willing to offer.

Truth be told, it's hard to imagine the Raiders trading Cousins.

Would it make sense? Absolutely because the Raiders are not legitimate Super Bowl contenders and they have Fernando Mendoza waiting in the wings.

However, they are also sitting at 4-4 and in the playoff race, so Las Vegas is likely more keen on keeping Cousins to see if it can get to the postseason in the first year under head coach Klint Kubiak.

Speculation surrounding Jones is nothing new because he's a very good backup who could be a solid starter after reviving his career in San Francisco.

That said, Pelissero reports that the Niners "wouldn't move backup QB Mac Jones for anything less than a huge offer."

Adding to that, 49ers general manager John Lynch continues to make it clear it would take a lot for the Niners to unload Jones.

"We'd have to be really motivated to move Mac, a situation where it makes too much sense," Lynch said. "But we're very comfortable with keeping Mac."

Sometimes a statement like that is just posturing, but we believe it in this instance.

The Niners are legitimate Super Bowl contenders and Jones offers great insurance in the event Brock Purdy gets hurt.

Not to mention, would the Niners really want to help out another NFC team it could be competing for a Super Bowl against this season? Not likely.