New Justin Herbert Trade Rumors on Vikings Links Surface After Kirk Cousins Deal at NFL Deadline

Kirk Cousins reportedly wasn't the only quarterback the Minnesota Vikings targeted ahead of the trade deadline.

The Vikings also looked into a potential deal for the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday.

According to Schultz, the Chargers "immediately shut down all inquiries for Herbert."

The Vikings also asked about the Indianapolis Colts' Daniel Jones and New York Jets' Geno Smith before trading Tuesday for Cousins, according to Schultz.

The Vikings reportedly acquired Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick.

Schultz reported Cousins was the "focal point" of the Vikings' search for a quarterback.

"Kevin O'Connell made it very clear to ownership that [Cousins] was the No. 1 target, per multiple league sources," Schultz reported.

This isn't the first time the Vikings have been connected to Herbert. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the franchise reached out to the Chargers about a potential trade ahead of the 2025 season but were met with "a flat no."

The latest trade rumors come after Herbert went from a 2025 Pro Bowl campaign to the worst season start of his career.

The Chargers have gone 0-8 as Herbert has completed a personal-low 61.3 percent of his passes and thrown just six touchdowns while getting picked off an NFL-high 11 times.

The Vikings could have been hoping a change of scenery would allow Herbert to bounce back down the stretch, although the Chargers quarterback would have to be on board. Herbert is signed through the 2029 season on a deal that reportedly features a no-trade clause.

The Chargers would also have to be willing to take on a $72.8 million in dead cap this season by trading Herbert, per Over the Cap .

The Vikings are instead turning to a familiar option under center. O'Connell and Cousins worked together in Minnesota for two seasons, including the quarterback's most recent Pro Bowl campaign in 2022.

Minnesota has been through multiple starters since Cousins left after the 2023 season, including a successful 2024 run with Sam Darnold and a less consistent 2025 campaign behind J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings committed to Kyler Murray as QB1 before trading McCarthy to the Giants this season, only to lose Murray on a week-to-week basis to a hamstring strain.

The move to trade for Cousins comes after Carson Wentz posted one of the worst-rated quarterback performances in recent NFL history during a 23-6 Monday night loss to the Buffalo Bills

The Vikings will hope granting O'Connell's apparent wish by reuniting him with Cousins will give this team enough offensive depth to take advantage of its dominant defense and make a playoff run this winter.